Brussels, 25/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The International Public Transport Association (IPTA) asserts that public transport has a vital role to play in cutting the number of children made ill or killed by pollution and road accidents. In a press release, the IPTA quotes figures from a World Health Association (WHO) report discussed at a WHO European environmental health conference in Budapest on 23-25 June, slamming the impact of air pollution and traffic accidents on young people under the age of 19.
The IPTA quotes WHO figures that one third of all illness affected children and young people under the age of 19 are caused by an unhealthy or dangerous environment. Polluted air and water and all other environmental hazards kill more than 3 million children under the age of 5 every year, and across Europe, external pollution alone kills more than 13,000 children under the age of four every year. The report points out that lead is the most toxic chemical for children in Europe.
The IPTA believes public transport can reverse this trend. A standard 45-seater diesel bus carrying just 5 passengers emits less carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons per person than a car and for this reason, the IPTA calls for concrete political action at all levels to make public transport a viable alternative to private car ownership. Alongside improvements in the quality of life, such policies can also have a considerable economic impact, notes IPTA Secretary General Hans Rat.
The WHO report notes that the main cause of death in young people in western Europe is injuries caused by car accidents. Here too, public transport has a vital role to play by providing a safer option, notes Hans Rat. The IPTA points out that buses, trains and coaches only cause 0.6% of fatal road accidents in the EU15.