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Mexico City Plans Car-Driving Ban To Fight Air Pollution (csmonitor.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Mexico City plans to implement a car-driving ban from April 5 to June 30 in an effort to fight high air pollution levels. Under the city's new program, all privately owned cars must remain off streets one day per week as well as one additional Saturday per month. The initiative comes after the city issued a four-day air quality alert on March 14, after the city experienced air pollution at double the national acceptance level. "The definitive 'no circulation' program will align with the new rule for vehicular verification that will be presented soon," tweeted federal Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano. "In addition to the car ban, the commission is also working on medium-term solutions like improving public transport."
So, without RTFA, the summary is misleading. It makes it appear like this program is a novel thing that has never been done.
In reality, Mexico City has been keeping a percentage of vehicles off the road for pollution fighting purposes since 1989. Vehicles stay off the road one working day per week according to their license plate's last digit.
Newer (10 years old or newer) cars were allowed to drive every day. Also, while all cars have to pass mandatory emmissions control, that had no effect on whether they could be on the road (so for instance, a newer but more polluting car would be able to go out every day while an older, potentially less-polluting car would have to stay home one day a week).
Earlier this year a court mandated that the permit to be on the road daily should be tied to the car passing emmissions control. More cars on the road are part of the reason why pollution levels reached a high-enough level to prompt the government to remove all exceptions to the program and have all cars, irrespective of age and pollutant output, stay home one day a week.
Incidentally, this program is part of the reason why there are so many cars in Mexico City: faced with the prospect of not being able to use the car once a week,many families bought a second car to also have coverage on the first car's off-the-road day.
Many cities have banned driving in the city center. It's quite nice, actually.
lies of air pollution
Really? They already have a real problem with that. This is not even about global warming. I take it you've never had to breathe ozone-rich air before. It hurts.
People really don't care about the quality of journalism, they just want brand names they can pledge their loyalty to. The CSM is a highly respected organization that does good research and reporting.
Anybody who assumes the organization is as messed up as the religious dogma has no credibility themselves.
B) Eliminate all the stupid users. This is frowned upon by society.
It's a good thing, when coupled with affordable, functional public transport, or a city layout which does not depend upon it, sans food deserts and the like. I've never been to Mexico City, so I wouldn't know how many neighborhoods would be adversely affected, and which would get along just fine.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I've lived in/visited polluted as hell places (China, Mexico City) and I'll tell you, you certain can feel it. Feels almost like going to Quito, Ecuador, where the city is high altitude and you have to breathe harder because oxygen count is lower. But the problem with the polluted cities isn't altitude is high, it's the smog. But in both cases you really will feel it if you're used to breathing the good air of for example the countryside in Europe or USA.