IT IS LIKELY Friends of the Earth have recently scored an own goal, by suggesting that North Street has high levels of pollution.

North Street is only realistic route for the main bus corridor through the city.

As buses are the main alternative to the car within the city, they offer a major path towards reducing harmful climate change gases, which I thought is a high priority for Friends of the Earth.

I believe the use of measurements taken in North Street are highly misleading.

As someone suffering from asthma, I am very aware of air quality.

The pollution levels in North Street feel low compared to many other locations in the city.

More importantly, a comparison is made with the Euro standard, however the location of the measurement device is highly substandard.

Whereas the device should have 270 degrees of free air, being against a wall, polluted air is more likely to stagnate on the measuring device, giving unrealistic readings.

This is made worse because the signboard above the shop, could direct pollution down on to the measuring device and free air is further restricted by the displays by neighbouring shops.

Third, standards clearly state that measuring devices should be situated away from junctions.

This is not fulfilled, as the North Street device is immediately adjacent to the pelican crossing.

That adds extra pollution from vehicles accelerating hard uphill from the signals.

None of which is comparable with the European standard, from which the comparison is made.

Unlike many other users, the bus companies have made great strides to reduce pollution, and have accelerated the introduction of Euro VI engines (which are said to reduce pollution by 98 per cent), and are now paying perhaps £100,000 extra, for new types of bus, that can run emission free through North Street and other routes in the city.

All this has to be paid by someone.

If further fare increases puts people off using bus services this is a further own goal.

It is regrettable that bus companies have been singled out for criticism in some quarters when other users of North Street probably create more pollution (worsened by changes the council has made to the road layout).

I believe council pollution data is being misused elsewhere.

At the Valley Gardens monitoring site the gap between the Royal Pavilion and the north gate, funnels the prevailing south-westerly wind and hence the area’s pollution, away from the sensor, so reducing apparent pollution levels.

This discrepancy will be further emphasised when most traffic is forced on to the east side of valley, away from the sensor (but resulting pollution will be awful, made worse by increased congestion, the prevailing wind, and high buildings).

I believe hypocrisy serves no one, and buses in particular, are too important to the city (and to the environment) to be undermined in this way.

Peter Elvidge

Address supplied