The News
Sunday 22 of December 2024

Mexico City Secures Funding for Transportation Plan


A microbus is scrapped at a salvage yard in the Mexico City area, Wednesday, June 15, 2016,photo: Cuartoscuro/Galo Cañas
A microbus is scrapped at a salvage yard in the Mexico City area, Wednesday, June 15, 2016,photo: Cuartoscuro/Galo Cañas
The plan includes introducing 2,000 hybrid taxis into Mexico City during the rest of 2016 and scrapping 800 polluting vehicles

At an event in the Coyoacán borough of Mexico City, Mexico City Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa announced that he had secured funding for his transportation plan, which includes removing 800 transportation vehicles from circulation and salvaging them.

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A taxi marked “CH” for chatarrización, or scrapping, is destroyed at a salvage yard in the Mexico City area, Friday, June 24, 2016. Photo: Cuartoscuro/María José Martínez

The 800 vehicles, which include taxis and microbuses, are managed through a concession systems with the city government or are individually managed and funded.

Mexico City will also obtain around 2,000 hybrid taxis to replace the 800 units that will be removed from circulation. This program is being supported by National Finance (Nafin).

“Today, Mexico City has secured funding for 2,000 hybrid taxis,” said Mancera Espinosa. “That is already a reality in Mexico City. We’re looking into ways to incentivize the transition to hybrid taxis, and we’re also looking for different ways to finance new transportation systems.”

The federal government is also offering one billion pesos ($52.9 million) to improve bus lanes, build the Metrobus’ new line 7 and expand its line 5. Improving air quality has been one of Mancera Espinosa’s greatest challenges during his tenure.