Mexico City Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera asked the federal government to consider th e high levels of air pollution in the capital an “emergency situation,” saying that it is due to climate change, rather than to the actions of any one government.
“I will be meeting with the Secretary of the Treasury, and I will ask him to declare a state of emergency, as the situation canno
t be blamed on the involved governments,” said the mayor.
He also said that he would be insistent in his request for federal funds for the improvement of public transportation in Mexico City.
Mancera said that the pollution problem in the capital has to do with climate change, and that it requires a serious response.
He asked the federal government not to force Mexico City to face air pollution alone. A Phase 1 Contingency for air pollution remains in force Wednesday.
After thanking the Natural Resources and Environmental Secretariat and the government of the State of Mexico for their actions relating to the situation, Mancera asked his own government to continue to address the issue.
He noted that the “double Hoy no Circula” had increased usage of public transportation between 13 and 15 percent.
To address the increased demand for public transportation, the government has increased the number of trips on bus lines and the Metro. Speed bumps, which worsen air pollution, are also being removed.
