Will the new parking system help the environment of Madrid?

Madrid, which is one of the most popular cities in the European Union, also shares the title of one of the most polluted cities.

To improve the situation, Madrid introduces a special parking system, which is designed to reduce pollution on the street from cars.

The authorities fully support this initiative and call it the first of its kind.

Starting on July 1, the car owner’s parking price will be based on a complex table that takes into account the type of engine and year of production. Hybrids to park will pay 20% less, while diesel cars produced in 2001, for example, will see a 20% markup. Electric cars will be able to park for free.



The city hopes the new parking system will help reduce pollution, which has consistently remained above the EU average. The Spanish capital consistently exceeds the EU limit on the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air, the main reason is the exhaust systems of cars, emissions of which are 5 times higher than the safe limit set by the EU.

“The cost of parking is one of the best ways to discourage parking in a crowded urban center,” said Elisa Barahona, who heads the city’s sustainability department. “We decided that it would be fair for cars that produce the most pollution to be required to pay more, offsetting the benefits of those using more efficient vehicles.”

The price of parking will also vary depending on how busy the street is: Parking on empty streets will cost less, and parking on the street with few vacancies will cost 20% more than usual.



Most drivers said they would not feel significant changes in the cost of parking, which would range from €0.66 and €3.29 per hour.

But one in every four drivers surveyed estimates that for those driving the dirtiest cars, the cost of parking will increase markedly. “In particular, car owners who are the most polluting, paying more will make you think twice before using your car,” Baraona said.



"The new parking meters are part of a wider range of measures aimed at improving air quality," she said. They also include a project to put energy-efficient buses on the city centre and a cycling program due to begin in June. Now that the economic situation has improved slightly, we have more opportunities to bring all our ideas to life.”

“One million cars enter the city every day,” says Mariano Gonzalez, an environmentalist, noting that new parking meters could help reduce that number. But he stressed that the calculation system emphasizes the age of the car, while reducing the value of other variables. “You may have bought a large modern car, such as a parquet SUV. For all its efficiency, its large engine may have more emissions than an old small car.

“Parking meters,” Gonzalez said, “are likely an attempt to appease the European Union, which has threatened the city with high fines if it does not improve its air quality.”

He recalled the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who was often spotted on his bike. In contrast, Esperanza Aguirre, the former head of the regional government in Madrid and current leader of the Madrid People’s Party, was recently caught illegally parking her car on the bus lane of one of Madrid’s busiest streets while she was withdrawing cash from an ATM.



This is an image that gives a pretty clear picture of our politicians’ attitudes toward environmental issues.



Source: facepla.net