Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


              Smog-alert Car Ban Jams Metro, Buses in Mexico City

   by Associated Press

   Mexico City residents packed buses and subway cars and many walked or
   biked to work Wednesday, as authorities barred millions of vehicles
   from the streets due to a pollution alert.

   Under new regulations imposed after the capital recently experienced
   its worst air-quality crisis in over a decade, the Phase 1 alert was
   declared when smog levels hit one-and-a-half times acceptable limits
   Tuesday.

   Pollution levels were down somewhat Wednesday, but Martin Gutierrez,
   executive coordinator for the Environmental Commission of the
   Megalopolis, told Milenio TV that the alert would remain in place until
   at least 5 p.m. A dense haze obscured the volcanic mountains that ring
   the city.

   On any given day, a fifth of all cars are supposed to stay off the
   streets, but that doubles during a Phase 1 alert. Until recently, newer
   and cleaner cars were exempt from the ban.

   With 2 million of the capital's cars, or 40 percent, ordered out of
   circulation, fares were temporarily waived for public transportation.
   Buses crawling along the central Reforma boulevard were crowded during
   the morning rush hour.

   "Public transport is not sufficient,'' said Martin Colin, a 53-year-old
   taxi driver, pointing to a bus jammed front-to-back with standing
   commuters. "They look like little sardines. The buses are full, full.''

   Traffic was noticeably lighter in some parts of the sprawling capital.
   But Colin, whose morning fares had already taken him to diverse parts
   of the city, said many of the usual bottlenecks were as bad as ever.

   "It's the same,'' he said.

   The vehicle ban does not apply to public or private buses -- something
   that has drawn criticism since many privately operated minibuses are
   notorious for belching thick black smoke.

   A truck drivers' protest against the "no circulation'' rule partially
   blocked two major highways on the periphery of Mexico City, snarling
   traffic. The truckers are upset that the rule keeps them from making
   deliveries.

   Other, unrelated political protests temporarily clogged central avenues
   in a city that's known for its constant demonstrations.

   Prices surges, long waits

   Taxis prowled the streets in visibly greater numbers, and finding an
   unoccupied cab to hail was more difficult than usual. Dispatchers
   reported increased demand, and Uber users complained of surge pricing
   several times higher than normal.

   Many residents turned to Mexico City's expanding bicycle-share program
   for the commute.

   Rosa Torres carpooled with friends and then used one of the loaner
   bikes to get the rest of the way to work. But when she arrived the
   station was full, and she had to wait behind five others for a spot to
   open up so she could drop off the bike.

   "I'm leaving time to get from one place to another,'' Torres said of
   the "no circulation'' rules.

   Luis Arturo Garcia also had to leave his car at home and was inspired
   to sign up for the bike-share program after his usual 10-minute commute
   stretched to 30.

   "It affects me a lot because I work in the morning and study in the
   afternoon,'' he said. "They're pretty long trips, and public
   transportation doesn't work for me.''

   He said authorities need to improve public transportation, and also
   suggested that increased telecommuting could help reduce pollution.

   Factories across greater Mexico City were ordered to cut emissions by
   30 to 40 percent, and gas stations without vapor recovery systems were
   told to close.

   The anti-pollution measures announced last month last through the end
   of June, when the rainy season begins. Authorities say they are working
   on longer-term policies to be announced in the future.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/smog-alert-car-ban-jams-metro-buses-m
   exico-city/3273614.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/smog-alert-car-ban-jams-metro-buses-mexico-city/3273614.html