BE wants the Porto Chamber to move forward with measures to control the volume of car traffic in the most polluted areas and draw up a plan for Reduced Zones and Zero Emissions in the seven parishes of the municipality.
In the proposal, to which Lusa had access this Thursday, the councilor of the Bloco de Esquerda, Maria Manuel Rola, says that The intervention of municipalities “is increasingly necessary” in monitoring air quality and in adopting measures that “significantly” reduce the emission of atmospheric pollutantsalthough the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and the Regional Development Coordination Commissions (CCDR) are the entities responsible for guaranteeing air quality.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is one of the main causes of premature death and disease, urban pollution is a public health emergency, and also points out that one third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease is due to the air. contamination”, points out the councilor.
Taking into account that the November 2021 report of the European Environment Agency indicates that in Portugal there were 4,900 premature deaths with exposure to fine particles, the councilor will propose that the Chamber of Porto initiate measures to control the volume of car traffic in the most polluted areas. the city and draw up a plan for Reduced Zones and Zero Emissions that analyzes the seven unions and parishes of the municipality.
At the same time, BE will propose, in the recommendation that it will present to the municipal executive on Friday, that the municipality implement a monitoring system for air pollution, noise and impact on health throughout the city, “with the dissemination of data to The population”.through the means of the camera”.
The party also recommends that Porto, like cities like Madrid, Paris or Brussels, implement a contingency plan “that is activated when high concentrations of pollutants occur that endanger public health”, which prohibition of circulation and parking of automobiles in certain areas, free public transport and compulsory speed reduction.
“We believe that there must be an integrated plan that provides for the reduction of the emission of air pollutants throughout the city, that is, by reducing car traffic,” says Maria Manuel Rola, recalling that “the premises of anticipation of the objectives of carbon neutrality that the city signed demand it”.
In the proposal, the BE also highlights that several cities are proposing measures to reduce air pollution, highlighting that in Italy there are 172 reduced emission zones, in Germany 78, in the United Kingdom 17, in the Netherlands 14 and in France eight.
The number of Reduced Emissions Zones at European level is expected to grow by 58% by 2025, but in Portugal no city has plans in this regard”, he adds.
Source: Observadora
