BRADFORD is still getting a disproportionate share of “old banger” buses compared to other cities, a council meeting heard yesterday.

Bradford Council is trying to improve air quality in the district, after West Yorkshire was identified by the government as having the third-worst pollution levels in the country.

An air quality study found that 40 per cent of emissions in central Bradford were caused by buses, with many of the vehicles being older, more polluting models.

Yesterday, the authority’s executive decided to explore the idea of a low emission zone for the city, and councillors said they would also push for the district’s bus fleets to be cleaned up.

Councillor Val Slater, who oversees environmental health, said: “We are getting a disproportionate share of the old bangers, and this is something we will keep pushing.”

Ruth Lees, the Council’s principal environmental health manager, said the Council had been working with bus companies First and Transdev on a project to retro-fit some older buses with more environmentally-friendly technology.