If you think traffic restrictions in Madrid are tough, take a look at London

Over the last few months we have been witnessing how the city councils of several European cities are implementing quite drastic measures to control air pollution, caused above all by indiscriminate traffic on their streets. In the case of Madrid, when levels of polluting gases are excessive, action protocols are activated that seek to reduce the presence of these gases in the environment.

In some cases, the aim is to prevent traffic in city centres, and only vehicles with registration plates ending in an even or odd number are allowed to access the central streets. The maximum speed on the main roads is regulated, and diesel vehicles are even barred from certain areas. These measures may be useful for a few hours, but in the long run they are of no use at all. There needs to be continuous, uninterrupted work to reduce pollution in cities.

London, for example, seems to have this quite clear. For several years a charge has been applied to drive in central London, amounting to £11.50, but not content with this, the council of the British capital wants to raise that charge. The aim is for drivers of the most polluting vehicles to think twice before entering these sensitive areas of the city. The charge will increase by £10 for those who produce the most pollution, so, as a deterrent, it will be quite effective according to the local authority’s calculations.

Central London is monitored by cameras to record which vehicles drive its streets. The charge came into force in 2003, at a price of £5 a day for every vehicle driving within the delimited zone. In 2004 it was already raised to £8 and now stands at £11.50. There are vertical signs and markings on the road so drivers know when they enter the restricted zone, and if the charge is not paid, the fine reaches £50.

Although the area where you have to pay to drive is limited to the centre of the city of London, using the inner ring road and adjacent areas as its boundary, an expansion of this zone is being studied. In this way, virtually the whole city centre would be off-limits to this type of traffic, and anyone wishing to access it by private car would have to pay. Buses, minibuses depending on their size, taxis, emergency services and other special vehicles are of course exempt. Hybrid or electric cars will not have to pay either, which will certainly encourage their use.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants these measures to start working before an emergency situation arises as a result of pollution. With this set of measures, which are not free of controversy, the aim is to reduce pollution levels and foster a more suitable situation for living in the city. As you can see, in Madrid there is still a long way to go to solve the pollution problem, and we will surely see more measures of this kind to control pollution caused by traffic.

Source | Autocar