This past week, Pico y Placa (roughly translated “rush hour and license plate”) took place in Medellin, designed to help regulate traffic during rush hours. This plan was created in 1998 by the Mayor Enrique Peñalosa of Bogota. In order to improve the city’s mobility, restricting license plates ending with a specific number that could not drive on a specific days of the week, calculating about 40% of the vehicles on the road.
The Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrrez Zuluaga, said in the morning of Wednesday the 22nd, that it was time to adopt “restrictive measures due to the deterioration of air quality“ in Medellín and the metropolitan area.
“We have to make decisions and they are going to be joint measures between all and involve the support citizen so we will adopt restrictive measures from today. The Pico y PlacA will be for six digits plates for both cars and motorcycles, restriction of mobility of trucks and dump trucks at established times and a contingency plan with the meter so that mass transportation can support the demand,” said the president.
What Medellin is doing to take steps forward regarding pollution.
Carlos Viviescaz , executive director of the Prosur Business Corporation, proposes “to make this an electric region”.
The cars in Medellin does not have technological conditions/restriction for a cleaner fuel, especially trucks and dump trucks. 46% of the automobiles in Medellin are being controlled
“It is necessary to apply the environmental norm, to strictly supervise the CDA and the vehicles, until all are taught to that it is necessary to comply with the technicomechanical revision”, says Sergio Ignacio Soto .
Read more about Pollution in Medellin:
The “Cicloruta” (Translation for “Bike route or Bike way”) in which are little roads that run along some of the city’s main avenues, was another great development of the city as an invitation for people to avoid using private motor vehicles, and to provide a cheap and healthy transportation route for those who didn’t have access to one. Bike rentals are at most metro stations.
What to expect in Medellin:
This has been going on a monthly basis but this week was more extreme to keep the air quality controlled in the City of Medellin.
The Pico y Placa ended today for the month of March. It was set to schedule from Thursday March 23 to Saturday March 25. Thursday and Friday will be between 7am and 7pm and Saturday will be 10am to 4pm.
Here are few details regarding the Pico y Placa
Private vehicles whose plates end in:
Thursday, March 23: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Friday, March 24: 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3
Saturday, March 25: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Motorcycles of 2 and 4 times whose plates start in:
Thursday, March 23: 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3
Friday, March 24: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Saturday, March 25: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
During these days the measure of pico y placa for the taxis was lifted. Uber drivers on the other hand must follow the restrictions.
Peak and plate exemptions for: Emergency vehicles, private and official vehicles using natural gas or electric power, land transport vehicles, special motor vehicles, school transport, vehicles used for the transportation of perishable goods, collective public transport vehicles, motorcycles intended for delivery.
The circulation of dump trucks and trucks in the urban perimeter of Medellin is restricted, from March 23 until the end of the restriction. They can only between 10 am and 5 pm and between 9 pm and 5 am.
The Medellin metro will add three additional trains during rush hours. It will increase the supply of trains, buses and the speed of the cables during rush hours. It will be reinforced with personnel in the stations the attention to the users.
Last Thursday the 23rd of March, according to the Medellín Metro, the number of passengers in the mass transit system increased by 8%. Carlos David Hoyos, Manager of Siata (Early Warning System), rated the reduction of PM 2.5 material during the first day of restrictive measures with a reduction of more than 50% in particulate matter.
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