North East Herts MP Sir Oliver Heald was among dozens of MPs to sign up to the pledges in The Times’ air pollution manifesto to give constituents the right to clean air.
Commenting, Sir Oliver said: “Everyone deserves to breathe clean air: it is appalling that more than 40 towns and cities have areas which exceed safe pollution limits set by the World Health Organisation.
“The government must act and should bring forward the 2040 target for banning sales of new diesel and petrol to 2030 – which is already the target for China, India, Ireland and Norway.
“Children are the most vulnerable to the effects of toxic air and we have a duty to ensure they are protected from harmful pollutants. Traffic bans outside schools at the start and end of the school day will help minimize our children’s exposure to air pollution and encourage more people to walk to school.
“We also need to give people precise information from live local monitors about the level of air pollution near their homes so that people can be empowered.
“I also support the introduction of 10% bioethanol to petrol, rather than the current 5%, which would reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road.”
Geraint Davies, Swansea West MP, who chairs the APPG on Air Pollution and will be presenting a new Clean Air Bill said: “This campaign to ensure people have that crucial right to clean air through law is well overdue.
He added: “Sir Oliver has been a champion for North East Hertfordshire in parliament and we will continue to work together to put pressure on the government to make these changes that will save lives.”
Mr Davies’ proposed Clean Air Bill will ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030, introduce temporary traffic bans outside schools and drop-off and pick-up times and deliver a legal right to clean air.