Mexico City mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera reminded everyone that “the whole ‘metropolitan’ area is suffering this pollution”, and not just Mexico City. This was the mayor’s assessment following news of high levels of pollution measured in the last hours, and after the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) agreed to maintain the Phase 1 Contingency due to ozone levels.
The mayor also announced that work is ongoing for the creation of a “New Norm for Vehicle Verification”, with the State of Mexico, Hildalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
“If all states in the ‘Megalopolis’ are given a new form of Verification, it will mean that all verifying centers will have to comply, the norm must be stricter and should prevent the most polluting cars from circulating, that is the criteria.”
Mancera Espinosa added that transit police in the capital were given instructions not to impose fines on drivers that do not comply with environmental guidelines.
“The instruction we gave to Public Security today is that any official who imposes fines will be sanctioned, what Public Security agents must do is give citizens orientation and tell them their vehicle is restricted from circulating, but not to sanction.”
The mayor concluded by saying that the measures taken had led to a 15 percent increase in subway users and 800,000 less vehicles circulating in the capital.”