Madrid looks at greater car restrictions as air pollution doubles safe limits
Thursday, November 3, 2016 @ 10:55 AM
AIR pollution in Madrid is once again leading the city council to drastic action and, although mayoress Manuela Carmena called off today's non-resident parking ban, similar measures are likely to be imposed in the near future.
Stopping traffic entering the metropolitan area is now becoming increasingly common, especially since, not quite a year ago, nitrogen dioxide levels in Madrid's urban hub nearly doubled the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s recommended safe limits.
When the thick cap of smog floating above the capital gets worse, Madrid bans cars from entering the urban nucleus within the M-30 motorway, the city's answer to the M25, but today's restrictions were withdrawn because of yesterday (Tuesday) being a national bank holiday and many workers having taken Monday off to go away for a long weekend, meaning the exodus was likely to return early this morning.
Sra Carmena's latest solution – which may only be temporary – is to only permit cars with even-numbered registration plates into the city on even-numbered days, and vice versa with odd-numbered registration plates and dates.
This could become complicated for visitors from outside the area who are unaware of the rules, especially if they are travelling in hired cars and are not sure of the registration number.
However, during the first few inner-M30 driving and parking bans, those who broke the rules unwittingly or otherwise and were handed fine notices were all let off from paying, with the shock of receiving these acting as a deterrent.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com