THE Green Party in Bradford has criticised a Government proposal to remove speed bumps to help reduce air pollution.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has issued guidelines to councils as part of a strategy to tackle air pollution levels in cities across the country, including Bradford.

The 98-page document instructs local authorities to “optimise traffic flows by considering removal of speed humps”.

But Bradford Council says it has no plans to remove speed bumps from the district’s roads.

Green Party spokesman, Councillor Hawarun Hussain (Shipley), said: “This is yet more proof that the Government is failing to take the air pollution crisis seriously. Theresa May’s Government have already been taken to court over its failure to tackle the air pollution crisis and it has been told it needs to do more.

“However, by releasing these guidelines it is now trying to make local councils responsible for fixing the mess they are choosing to ignore.

“Speed bumps are not contributing to air pollution in the worst sites in our city.

“What is contributing is the sheer volume of traffic, the emissions it produces and the fact that the public transport network in Bradford is not fit for a city of this size.

“Speeding and dangerous driving is a major problem in the Bradford district and many local people are telling us they actually want more speed bumps, not fewer. Trying to tie them to air pollution is verging on dishonesty.”

Plans for a £2.5 million segregated cycle path to link two existing routes in Bradford were given the green light last month. The scheme, a 2.3km extension to the Canal Road Greenway, would mean there was a traffic-free cycle route all the way from Shipley to Bradford city centre.

The route would pass the Forster Square retail park and Forster Square station, and would also link to the Bradford-to-Leeds Cycle Superhighway, which opened around a year ago.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “We have no plans to remove speed bumps off the back of this report.

“We are involved with a number of projects to improve air quality and reduce congestion and always encourage walking and cycling for the health benefits they offer residents and reduction in pollution.”