Unfortunately, in this 2017 it has happened several times, after a few weeks where thermal inversion, the lack of rain and the massive use of Private vehicles of the citizen.
Because of these things among others, Madrid has suffered several episodes of high pollution. Faced with this phenomenon, the question arises, are the traffic restrictions solve the pollution problem?
Pollution in numbers and its effects
This problem is not new, and it has been repeated each time with more frequently and whose effects the weakest, children and the elderly, suffer most sharply.
According to the European Agency for Environment (EEA), are scandalous, so in Spain more than 31.000 people die each year due to pollution, adding up to almost half a million (487.000) throughout Europe.
Unfortunately, both nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as the particles are shot above the limits that health authorities identify as harmful to health.
Pollution can be seen, breathed and felt. And it's not just a case isolated of Madrid, it is repeated in hundreds of cities around the world.
Pollution is not "above people" but "between people" hence its dangerousness. In recent months, it is many times several of the seasons they overcome 300 ppm NO2Exceeding 180 ppm is considered harmful.
Traffic restrictions in Madrid
Faced with this situation, municipal authorities, like those of any large city, have a series of protocols to try to alleviate the situation. In the case of Madrid the protocol set 4 scenarios.
Speed reduction
The first of them involves a warning reducing the speed at the accesses to the city to 70 km / h.
Non-resident parking
If this situation continues, it goes to the second in which, in addition to reducing speed, non-residents are prohibited from parking in regulated parking areas (SER zone).
Circulation on the M30
The third scenario takes a further step allowing vehicles with even registration on even days and odd on days to circulate inside the M30. odd license plate.
In addition, it allows zero emission vehicles and those with 3 or more occupants to circulate.
And finally, the 4th and last stage extends the scenario 3 ban to the M30 itself as well.
The transition from one scenario to another occurs when at least two pollution measurement stations exceed the maximum levels. The city council has to notify with a term of 24 hours of the entrance in force of these measures.
Corrective action results
The first day that scenario 2 was applied (the one that prohibited parking in a regulated parking zone) only achieved a reduction in traffic on the M30 compared to a similar day of another week of a negligible 1%.
The 2nd day applied the protocol in its scenario 2 it achieved a 2% reduction and the third of the days it did not reach 5%.
In conclusion: if there is to be a reduction in the pollution levels effectively, the measures taken must lead to a much greater reduction in traffic.
The only scenario that, from what is seen, ensures this is the 3 that only allows cars with odd or even license plates to circulate inside Madrid depending on the day.
Anti-pollution protocol
Dependence on the private vehicle powered with Fossil fuels it has been a feature of so-called economic progress in the last 100 years.
Fortunately, it seems that a shift begins in the coming years towards a electric mobility, but in the meantime that change comes, there are many people around the globe who will suffer from this contamination.
A paradigm shift is absolutely necessary in which another type of mobility prevails.
Teleworking, shared vehicle, public transport, bicycle or electric car are some of the possible solutions we have.
Whether or not to adopt these alternatives will depend on the true awareness of authorities, companies and us, the citizens.
