PUPILS and parents are calling for fines from the city’s new low emission zone to fund “safer, healthier and less polluting” journeys to school.

The call to action was made at Glasgow City Chambers on Wednesday (April 24) by campaign group Parents for Future Scotland.

Glasgow Times: Tam Dean Burn compered the event

The group is also asking for every citizen in Glasgow to have access to a bicycle.

The event was compered by former River City star Tam Dean Burn and speakers included Faiza Javaid, whose then nursery-age son suffered an asthma attack triggered by cars idling outside her daughter's primary school.

Faiza said: “We were waiting for my daughter to come out and there were cars idling. I suffer from asthma myself and I was struggling to breathe. My son became really sick for many days and was struggling to sleep.

“When I took him to the doctor they diagnosed asthma and he has been on an inhaler ever since. The cars idling outside the school were the trigger event.”

Glasgow Times:

Pupils from 40 schools across Glasgow have studied council-approved air pollution education packs created by Parents for Future Scotland.

An average of 53 percent of the city’s primary pupils walk or wheel to school, but in some areas the numbers are as low as 15 percent, with road safety fears and a lack of cycling/wheeling infrastructure putting off many families.

The group also urged the introduction of free joined-up public transport as found in other cities such as Manchester and called for a more rapid roll-out of a cycle lane network across the whole city, and for active travel coordinators to be employed to help deliver safe school travel plans.

Glasgow Times: A drawing done by a Glasgow pupil who has studied the air pollution packs issued by Parents for

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "While Glasgow’s air quality has much improved in recent years, there remains an ongoing commitment to achieving the best air quality possible to benefit the health of city residents and visitors.

“We have recently refreshed our Air Quality Action Plan which sets out a number of priority actions for the next five years, including a review of air quality monitoring with a focus around schools, hospitals and care homes. 

“The plan also supports our transport strategies that encourage fewer car journeys and a switch to more sustainable forms of travel.

“Revenue will be used to support the operation of the LEZ, and projects and activities that either enhance the city’s air quality or help it achieve its net zero targets.  

“The council’s recent budget process identified potential to direct £250,000 into urban greening and a further £250,000 to support local community climate action projects.

“However, a more defined picture of the revenue available for projects will become known following an assessment of operating costs after the LEZ scheme’s first full year of operation.

“Given the range of potential projects which could be supported, an evaluation process will help determine the allocation of resources."

Glasgow Times: A family-friendly cycle at Glasgow Green organised by Parents for Future Scotland

The spokesperson said that an on-going road safety programme which limits vehicle movements outside schools at key times had been "well-received" and added: "Work on the City Network for active travel will ultimately ensure that no school is more than 400 metres from safer, segregated cycling infrastructure and the development of the network will advance significantly this year.

“Initiatives such as the introduction of a 20mph speed limit on a significant majority of Glasgow’s road network will also improve road safety and encourage active travel throughout the city.”