New Bike Cleans Up Air Pollution

A new type of bicycle that reduces pollution by cleaning air as people cycle could soon be introduced in Britain.

Developed by a Dutch designer, the device is first being introduced in China. If successful, it could be brought to Britain, The Independent reported.

The bike works by absorbing polluted air through a module mounted at the front and passing it through a filter before pumping it back out.

Pollution levels have soared in a number of global cities in recent years. Many parts of London breach legal limits on levels of nitrogen dioxide and earlier this year, the UK capital’s pollution levels rose above those of Beijing.

The bikes are the brainchild of Dutch designer and artist Dan Roosegaarde who has signed a partnership with Chinese bike-sharing company Ofo to develop the bikes in Beijing.

Ofo has been described as the “Uber for bicycles” and has an estimated three million users in China. The first bikes could be completed by the end of the year.

“Next year we are launching the smog-free project in Delhi and plan to expand across Europe after that," Roosegaarde told The Times.

"London would benefit hugely from these bikes—walking down Oxford Street is the equivalent of smoking more than a dozen cigarettes, but without the pleasure.”

Thousands of deaths each year in the UK have been linked to air pollution.