The Mayor of London and the leaders of five of the UK’s most polluted cities are calling on the Government to take urgent action on vehicle emissions, including a zero-tolerance approach to malpractice.In a letter urging Theresa May to take urgent action to clean up the country’s toxic air, Sadiq Khan and the leaders of Derby, Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham and Southampton said that vehicle manufacturers must be more accountable for emissions, following the recent Volkswagen scandal. The comments come two months after the London Mayor called on Transport Secretary to “stop dragging his feet” and ensure the Government takes legal action against Volkswagen for the emissions scandal.

The city leaders are now urging the Prime Minister to implement a range of actions on air quality including introducing national minimum emissions standards for private hire vehicles and implementing a Clean Air Act for the 21st century.

The Government is preparing to consult on a new national air quality plan to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide as soon as possible, following the recent High Court ruling against its previous plan.

Already Mayor of London has proposed to implement a wide-ranging package of measures to clean up London’s air, including a £10 toxicity charge – or ‘T-charge’ – for the most polluting vehicles later this year.

Leader of Nottingham City Council, Councillor Jon Collins, said: “Nottingham is already carrying out a wide range of measures to improve air quality, including investment in trams, electric buses and cycling infrastructure. We want not only to deliver a workable and effective Clean Air Zone by 2020, but also to take a joined-up approach by aligning a range of proposals to ensure we are tackling air pollution in Nottingham as effectively and comprehensively as possible – but we need Government support to help deliver our ambitions.”