Professor of Environmental Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Levent Kuzu stated that the main cause of air pollution in cities is motor vehicles.
According to zakon.kz, he noted that traffic jams significantly pollute the air because more fuel is consumed at that time. Furthermore, emissions on congested streets in densely built-up areas cause a high impact of air pollutants on people. Due to the vertical construction of buildings, the dispersion of pollutants is supposedly hindered.
"Emissions from road traffic are today the main source of anthropogenic air pollution in city centres. Alternatives, such as public transport, can help reduce emissions per capita. In addition to exhaust fumes, particles are released into the air from both tyres and roads due to brake pad friction and tyre wear," Kuzu reported.
Incidentally, another study found that around 50% of commutes worldwide are made by car. It also reports that car usage rates vary by region: from nearly 92% in cities in the USA and Canada to 50-75% in cities in Northern and Southern Europe.
At the same time, measures taken by various countries to support the environmental situation and regulate the number of motor vehicles are cited as examples.
For instance, in Buenos Aires in 2019, pavements were widened and the carriageway was halved to 40% of the street width, instead of the previous 80%. This allowed traffic in the city centre to normalise, also reducing car speeds, which improved pedestrian safety and comfort.
"On the most popular streets for pedestrians, the speed limit was reduced to 10 km/h. From 11:00 to 16:00, access to the centre was permitted only for those who officially work or live there. Office workers began more frequently using one car for several people to get to work," the report states.
As a result, driving a personal vehicle into the centre became uneconomical. The number of cars decreased almost fivefold, while demand for public transport increased.
In France, from 2021, a ban was introduced across the entire Paris metropolitan area on the movement of old diesel cars produced before the end of 2005, and petrol cars from 1996 and older. The ban also affected motorcycles registered before July 2004. According to expert estimates, the new restriction affected more than 320,000 vehicles.
In Singapore in 2023, the cost of a certificate for owning a large family car was sharply increased to 146,002 Singapore dollars (106,619 US dollars). Those wishing to buy a car in Singapore cannot purchase one without the relevant certificate. It can be obtained at auctions held every two weeks, with the government controlling their number.
In Georgia, from January this year, the import of passenger cars not meeting the Euro-5 standard was stopped. Cars manufactured before 2013 were banned from being brought into the country. These changes were supposedly introduced to address the issue of air pollution. At the same time, next year the Georgian authorities want to introduce a ban on the import of buses and trucks manufactured before 2013.
Furthermore, it became known that the Ministry of Ecology of Uzbekistan proposes limiting the operation of all types of cars older than 2010 in Tashkent.
Paid parking is cited as another measure aimed at regulating the number of motor vehicles in large cities. In Almaty and Astana, paid parking costs 100 tenge per hour ($0.23). In Moscow from $0.23 to $5, in the USA the average cost of hourly parking is $9.66. In London, an hour of parking costs $8.25, in Amsterdam $6.5, in Paris $3.7.
It is reported that there are currently nearly 1.5 billion cars worldwide. It is noted that over a year, more than 60 million passenger cars are produced globally, while overall vehicle production exceeds 85 million.