It seems fitting that Oxford city, famed for its historic innovations, is once again creating history with what is proposed to be the world’s first zero-emissions zone. London has followed suit, recently amending its Clean Air Act to also eventually eliminate non-zero emissions vehicles – including taxis, light commercial vehicles and buses from its streets.

Consultation by Oxford City Council begins this Autumn on the proposed plans, set to be implemented in 2020, starting with a small number of streets and expanding to gradually phase out all non-electric vehicles from the whole of the city centre by 2035.

The plans came after Oxford was found to be one of 11 cities in the UK which had breached the safety levels of toxic air particles causes by pollution. The same study found that 95% of areas in London were breaching the limits by at least 50%, making it the worst area for air pollution in the UK.

In addition to the zero-emissions zone, Oxford City Council earlier this year secured central government funding of £500,000 for electric taxi charging points and £800,000 to install electric vehicle charging points for residents.

GLH is an organisation which has always led the way in terms of sustainability – from being the first passenger car company in London to operate a fleet of electric eco-cabs and, most recently, being the first to work with The Energy Saving Trust to planning routes which avoid dead mileage and working with local school children on environmental initiatives. So, it should be of no surprise that we applaud this pioneering move by Oxford City Council.

To echo the words of Councillor John Tanner of Oxford City Council, “everyone needs to do their bit, from national, government and local authorities, to businesses and residents, to end this public health emergency.”

We’re doing our bit by implementing new innovations all the time. And you can do your bit by working with London’s most eco-friendly passenger car and courier company. Whether you are a multi-national organisation looking for a sustainable supplier or a local resident who just wants to do their bit and help make London’s air cleaner for everyone, you will be guaranteed the same superior customer service. Call us on 020 7490 4222 or email us at bookings@glh.co.uk to find out how we make every journey matter.