'˜The air feels cleaner as soon as you leave the city,' says mother

Residents of the congested route told The News about their fears of the high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) detected.

Natalie Worley, 42, of Oakwood Road, said: ‘I am not surprised that the city has bad air quality due to the high population and usage of cars. My youngest child is eight and is asthmatic, so air pollution is a worry.

‘The air feels cleaner as soon as you leave Portsmouth.’

John Brooks, 56, of Oakwood Road suggested that more car sharing could ease congestion in the city.

He said: ‘It is a heavily built-up city so air pollution is inevitably going to be bad. Car sharing is a great idea but not a really viable option for a lot of people.

‘I think the government is on the right track by banning high-emission vehicles.

Denys Brain, 64, also of Oakwood Road, said an increased usage of electric cars on the road will help the problem, stating: ‘The solution is not to take cars off the road as that simply would not work.

‘We have got to have more electric cars.’

A few residents along the stretch were surprised that the levels of NO2 had not been addressed to them directly.

Sherri Coome, 26, of London Road, said: ‘I am concerned that we were not made aware of the air pollution problem.’

Carol Bayliss, 62, of Northwood Road, said: ‘It is very difficult to do anything about air pollution as the city is so densely populated and there are a lot of cars.

‘I think that more public transport and decent bicycle lanes would help.

‘The air quality is concerning as I have grandchildren who visit quite often,’ she added.