Fuel Cell Works Supplemental News Page

London Mayor Publishes Plan for Quieter Capital-Sounder City plan would include trials of both fuel cell and hybrid city buses Publication date: 10-April-2004 Source: EDIE
A vision for a more placid London with sound proof buildings, quieter roads surfaces free from potholes and ramps, no planes in the night sky and peaceful fuel cell vehicles rather than the chugging engines of diesel driven ones, was set out this week in London's Ambient Noise Strategy. The capital leads the way in the UK for devising such a strategy and precedes a national plan, which the Government says it needs five years to devise. Sounder City outlines Ken Livingstone's ambitions to make London a place where people can relax and take solace in silence, by planning for the better management of noise from transport systems and improving urban design to screen out noise. Traffic is the main element of city life to be targeted in the strategy with plans to trial hybrid electric buses, as well as the fuel cell ones currently testing, a ban on night flights and making the backlog of road resurfacing projects a priority. "In a modern city, noise is increasingly seen as a quality of life issue," said the Mayor. "My strategy aims to build noise management into as much of our transport as possible and one of my priorities is improving London's roads." A spokesperson for the Mayor's office told edie securing government funding for new lower noise road surfaces would be a priority for the Mayor. The London strategy precedes a national plan, which the Government says, it needs five years to produce. Mr Livingstone called on the Government to speed up development on a national strategy, including the costing of it. He called on city, national and international level agreement to properly reduce noise at source for vehicles such as trains and planes. The plan also incorporates the possibility of creating noise barriers in the city, pending suitable location and funds, which would also act to generate solar electricity. The spokesperson said business and industry will be encouraged to act in accordance with minimising noise through a series of leaflets and guidance documents. A MORI poll for the Greater London Authority found that 46% of Londoners found that noise was a general problem at the end of 2003. Mr Livingstone called on the Government to support projects initiated in London to tackle noise in the nation as a whole. "London carries an extra noise burden as gateway to the UK. Action here can help in national policy development. Government must recognise this by supporting exemplary projects, and setting up funds for ongoing noise reduction," he said. ~

A
vision for a more placid London with sound proof buildings, quieter roads
surfaces free from potholes and ramps, no planes in the night sky and peaceful
fuel cell vehicles rather than the chugging engines of diesel driven ones,
was set out this week in London's Ambient Noise Strategy.The capital leads the way in the UK for
devising such a strategy and precedes a national plan, which the Government
says it needs five years to devise.
Sounder City outlines Ken Livingstone's
ambitions to make London a place where people can relax and take solace
in silence, by planning for the better management of noise from transport
systems and improving urban design to screen out noise.
Traffic is the main element of city life
to be targeted in the strategy with plans to trial hybrid electric buses,
as well as the fuel cell ones currently testing, a ban on night flights
and making the backlog of road resurfacing projects a priority.
"In a modern city, noise is increasingly
seen as a quality of life issue," said the Mayor. "My strategy aims to
build noise management into as much of our transport as possible and one
of my priorities is improving London's roads."
A spokesperson for the Mayor's office told
edie securing government funding for new lower noise road surfaces would
be a priority for the Mayor.
The London strategy precedes a national
plan, which the Government says, it needs five years to produce. Mr Livingstone
called on the Government to speed up development on a national strategy,
including the costing of it. He called on city, national and international
level agreement to properly reduce noise at source for vehicles such as
trains and planes.
The plan also incorporates the possibility
of creating noise barriers in the city, pending suitable location and funds,
which would also act to generate solar electricity. The spokesperson said
business and industry will be encouraged to act in accordance with minimising
noise through a series of leaflets and guidance documents.
A MORI poll for the Greater London Authority
found that 46% of Londoners found that noise was a general problem at the
end of 2003.
Mr Livingstone called on the Government
to support projects initiated in London to tackle noise in the nation as
a whole. "London carries an extra noise burden as gateway to the UK. Action
here can help in national policy development. Government must recognise
this by supporting exemplary projects, and setting up funds for ongoing
noise reduction," he said.