Mexico City Choked by Worst Smog in Over a Decade Jonathan Kealing - Global Post
go to original April 9, 2016

In order to contain air pollution, Mexico City required all motor vehicles to stop transit one day each week and one Saturday each month, from April 5 till June 30 this year. (New China TV)

Mexico City is in the grips of a pollution crisis.

Authorities have issued the first smog alerts for the city in more than a decade and recently implemented restrictions on when cars can be on the road. On Wednesday, for example, two-in-five cars were ordered off the road because the pollution reached such high levels.

In addition, Mexico City closed a loophole in its existing rules that kept about 20 percent of cars off the road each day. Now, even vehicles certified as low-emission will also be banned on designated days, typically based on a number on their license plates.

The pollution problem isn't new for Mexico City. Some driving restrictions have been in place for years. But still, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness estimates that 1,823 people each year die prematurely in Mexico City because of air pollution. The city's geography is a major factor in the city's bad air. Surrounded by mountains, during the city's dry season, smog just sits and accumulates.

Warmer tempeatures — it's been in the mid-80s this week — also contribute to the thick smog. The new, tighter restrictions are set to remain in place until the rainy season arrives this summer.

In the meantime, the city is offering free bus and subway rides as a way to get people off the road. And it's also proving to be a profit center for some businesses. Uber has a major presence in the city and is setting high surge prices.

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