Sir – Emissions from diesel engines are implicated in the development of lung cancer, heart disease and asthma.

A recent trip to Stockholm showed how other cities approach this health threat. Buses were run on bio-fuels, taxis and local delivery vehicles were hybrid electric/petrol and cars were routed around main roads away from residential areas between road noise baffles and in road cuttings.

Oxford’s diesel/hybrid buses could be converted to run on LPG in the town, taxis should be required to be hybrid electric/ petrol, deliveries can be transferred to electric vehicles at transfer stations outside the city. Diesel vehicles should be charged a significant pollution entry fee with revenues going to the hospital services.

Car parking could be allocated in favour of electric and low-emission vehicles and the number of large car spaces in city centre car parks reduced. Remove long-term dumped cycles from the racks regularly and grit cycle lanes and footpaths ahead of roads to prevent residents taking to their cars in bad weather.

The Oxford City Air Quality Action Plan, in consultation until September 17, proposes relaxing one of the significant targets on nitrogen dioxide — this is the wrong way to meet targets.

It proposes reducing the pollution levels in the shopping streets for the benefit of irregular visitors to Oxford at the expense of streets close to residential areas. There are approximately 150,000 residents in Oxford, or 55,000 households, who need protection from ill health caused by diesel emissions. Could each of those households please respond to the consultation document stressing the need for clean air to breathe all day, every day.

Alice Brander, Oxford