The number of vehicles on the roads of the world continues to increase year after year, especially in large cities were increasing traffic volumes major cause of congestion, accidents and environmental damage. During rush hour in most cities, traffic congestion is reaching intolerable levels. Traffic congestion is a daily problem for the long-suffering worker city.
Here are some facts, which represents the result in traffic levels on the rise:
- Congestion wastes more than 2.3 billion gallons of fuel annually USA
- The annual time 'lost' by pilot in the United States exceeds 47 hours per year
- Traffic Delays cost the U.S. economy an estimated $ 63.1b by year
- Drivers in central London spend 50 per cent of their time Driving in traffic.
- It has been estimated that London has lost between £ 2-4M each week in terms of lost productivity due by congestion
To solve the problem of traffic levels increase, the cities have developed different ideas. In London, for example, they have implemented the controversial congestion charge. Any vehicle that leads 7:00-6:00 within a clearly defined area, must pay £ 8 per day Congestion Charge. Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, had made transport a major focus of his tenure. His goal was to reduce congestion Road and improve journey times by encouraging people to choose other forms of transport if possible. As a result, traffic levels have decreased 21 per cent since the congestion charge started. Another positive effect is that cycling in central London has increased by 43 per cent of traffic accidents and the main pollutants are reduced and most importantly, air quality has improved.
Sao Paulo, Brazil devised another how to cope with traffic levels increasing. Each vehicle has a specific day of the week, where he is not allowed to drive for hours peak. The number plate determines the day you can drive. Traffic police and hundreds of traffic cameras placed strategically supported by computerized image recognition systems, picks up vehicles which are on the roads without permission.
For United States and Canada, they are trying to support carpooling by providing dedicated lanes on highways that can be used by cars carrying two or more people. These are special lanes called "HOV – High Occupancy Vehicle Lane. Individual plans have been developed, where people register as a "car buddy" so that the vehicle owner can use the HOV lane. A training positive effect is that people have expanded their circle of friends following.
Cologne in Germany using an "area low emissions "to improve air quality and avoid congestion. The" Low Emission Zone "can only friendly cars environment for access to downtown. Cars with high levels of pollutants and more vehicles are prohibited from entering the area. To drive in Cologne, you must have a sticker indicating that your car is not a polluting vehicle. Failure to do so will result in a fine. Unlike other cities that people charged with driving in large cities, Cologne has an excellent public transport network. Very often it is faster to take the train door to door than it is to drive
In today's world of climate change and global warming, it is good to see that cities can do something for the environment. Trying to reduce traffic volumes by implementing rights or even banning cars not environmentally friendly is not only good for the environment, it also benefits Bike!
For the traveler, however, many large firms hire cars have a green fleet would the city even more environmentally happy. In Europe, most rental cars have diesel cars fleet and the U.S., hybrid cars are common. In Australia, Toyota Prius is the car of choice for the environment. Thus, even the most ardent of the Eco-Traveler will be allowed when renting a car.
About the Author:
Car Guru writes for DriveAway Holidays, DriveAway Holidays New Zealand and DriveAway Holidays Blog
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Traffic Chaos in our Major Cities
