Cycling campaigners have called on the Town Hall to take immediate steps to reduce motor traffic in a bid to combat “illegal” levels of air pollution. Islington Cyclists’ Action Group (ICAG), which carried out research with the activist lawyer group ClientEarth in November of last year, has found that more than half of roads surveyed in the south of the borough had levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration far higher than considered safe. NO2, a constituent of exhaust emissions, is widely linked to respiratory and heart problems. ICAG installed diffusion tubes on 30 lampposts across the south of the borough. The tubes were analysed by scientists at University College London who found that pollution is at its worse in the south of the borough, especially in busy roads such as Clerkenwell Road and Old Street.The campaigners say that filtering motoring traffic at key places would improve air quality and road safety.He added: “It is reckless that the council seeks to promote cycling on roads with illegal levels of air pollution.”The council, which last year secured £2million from Transport for London to improve cycling routes, said it is committed to improving air quality in Islington. A spokeswoman pointed to initiatives to cut emissions, including the introduction of a diesel surcharge to encourage a move to less-polluting vehicles, and said the authority is lobbying TfL to upgrade all buses that run through Islington to hybrid or zero-emission vehicles.

• Keywords
  AIR POLLUTION, CYCLE ROUTES, TRAFFIC
• Geographical keyword
  CLERKENWELL ROAD, OLD STREET, ST JOHN STREET
• Persons keyword
  Islington Cyclists Action Group