Signs have been installed on the streets outside a Mumbles primary school calling for motorists to switch off their engines if they're waiting for "extended periods" at nearby traffic lights, and more could follow at other schools. It's part of a research project funded by the Welsh Government that has been devised to measure air quality and sound on busy city streets - and ultimately come up with ways to provide cleaner air in built-up areas.
As well as the new signs, air quality and sound monitoring units have been gathering data from outside Oystermouth Primary School, Swansea Council said. The school, located in Newton Road, was chosen due to its proximity to a busy road and traffic controls, and local residents have also been asked to get involved in the research project by sharing their "knowledge and beliefs" on engine idling and air quality in the area.
Minister for climate change, Julie James MS, visited the school as part of Clean Air Day on Thursday, June 15 and commented on the new scheme. "We all need to do what we can to ensure our children, and everyone in Wales, breathes clean air," she said. "Through our Local Air Quality Management Support Fund, we are supporting local authorities to undertake a variety of projects to tackle pollution and support health and wellbeing. We look forward to seeing the results of the collaborative idling project at Oystermouth Primary School in Swansea, and what impact this has had on air quality around the school." You can get the biggest Swansea news stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
Cabinet member for corporate services and performance in Swansea Council, David Hopkins, added: "Air pollution and improving air quality should be everyone's concern. The scheme we have been working on at Oystermouth has relied on the participation of motorists to do the right thing and not have their vehicles idling for extended periods. This happens at schools all around the city as well as elsewhere in the country.
"We are in the process of studying the data collected during the monitoring process – to see if signage we had in place has encouraged motorists to get on board, and as a result, improve air quality. If that is the case, it maybe, that we look at rolling out a similar scheme of including advisory signs near other schools.
Cllr Hopkins added: "A pilot study was carried out in Sketty in July, 2022, and which showed that motorists are prepared to do their bit and show consideration for their local environment. We are in an age now where many modern vehicles have equipment fitted which automatically switches off engines when they are at a stop. The signage illustrated that other motorists switched off and air quality improved."
Dr Menna Price, from Swansea University’s School of Psychology, which is running the research project in partnership with Swansea Council and ThinkAir, added: "Our previous research has shown that behaviour change messaging is a simple and effective way to encourage drivers to stop idling when stationary in traffic and improve air quality. This is particularly the case when messages are aimed at overcoming identified barriers to switching car engines off.
"Primary schools situated by busy roads are particularly important to target with this sort of intervention given their proximity to idling traffic. As a result, we are currently researching the beliefs and behaviours around engine idling in drivers near Oystermouth Primary school and the effects of this type of messaging on air quality outside the school."
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