There will be no more diesel vehicles on the roads of Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City by 2025, if the plans of the respective current mayors are seen out, the BBC reports. The commitments were made in Mexico at a biennial meeting of city leaders and the cities will offer incentives for alternative vehicle use and promote walking and cycling.
But why? It’s not a brand new development. The use of diesel in cars and transport has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, as concerns about the impact of diesel fumes on air quality have grown. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that around three million deaths every year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution.
The Beeb explains that diesel engines contribute to the problem in two key ways – through the production of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Very fine soot PM can penetrate the lungs and can contribute to cardiovascular illness and death.
NOx can help form ground level ozone and this can exacerbate breathing difficulties, even for people without a history of respiratory problems. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can cause or exacerbate a number of health conditions, such as inflammation of the lungs (which can trigger asthma and bronchitis) and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Diesel vehicles are the biggest contributor to high levels of NO2 in Europe.
We often think of Europe’s cold, crisp air as clean (relative to our own air quality), but the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned that air pollution is causing around 467,000 premature deaths in the continent every year.
Urban folks are at high risk, with around 85% exposed to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) at levels deemed harmful by the WHO. These ultra fine particles (less than 0.0025 mm in diameter) are too small to be detected by our eyes or nose, but can cause or aggravate heart disease, asthma and lung cancer.
“It is no secret that in Mexico City, we grapple with the twin problems of air pollution and traffic. By expanding alternative transportation options like our Bus Rapid Transport and subway systems, while also investing in cycling infrastructure, we are working to ease congestion in our roadways and our lungs,” said Mexico City mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera.
“Our city is implementing a bold plan – we will progressively ban the most polluting vehicles from the roads, helping Paris citizens with concrete accompanying measures. Our ambition is clear and we have started to roll it out: we want to ban diesel from our city, following the model of Tokyo, which has already done the same,” said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The French capital has already taken some steps to cut the impact of diesel cars and trucks, which currently dominate France ahead of petrol engines. Vehicles registered before 1997 have already been banned from entering the city, with restrictions increasing each year until 2020. Once every month, the famous Champs-Élysées is closed to traffic, while very recently a 3km section of the right bank of the Seine, which was once a two-lane motorway, has been pedestrianised.
These measures are effective. BBC‘s report points out that in the Spanish city of Barcelona, extra journeys by publicly available bicycles have reduced CO2 emissions by over 9,000 tonnes – the equivalent of more than 34 million km driven by an average vehicle.
The bad reputation diesel – previously promoted by carmakers and governments for being gentle on CO2 emissions – has been getting lately (VW’s Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal poured fuel to the fire) as well as these latest commitments by cities will force the hands of carmakers to move away from diesel. The European brands are particularly invested in oil burners, and will have to shift strategies, if they haven’t already done so.
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pls ban the diesel powered factory buses in Malaysia immediately please.
Everywhere banning diesel but Malaysia diesel busses and lorries still emit thick black smoke. Sometimes so bad that if you are driving behind, you cannot even see through the smoke.
When is our bodoh gomen going to realise that all these pollution is bad for the public?
But u complaint EV bus cost RM1million++
U should blame the gomen. Diesel Euro5 not even distribute nationally.
Roll out of Euro5 is depends the fuel brands. How can Gov force private kompenis like BHP, Shell, Caltex, Petron, etc to follow? Thats like kominis.
Bus operator will not use it even all station have euro 5. Save cost. If gov force them, they said operation cost is high and fee must up. Then you compliant some more. And btw, which transport company willing to replace all their lorries/buses fleet with new and better engine? They will keep their fleet as long as possible, then you will also complaint gov no action to force this company to change their lorries/buses. If change up price, you complaint also.
Gomen tak boleh nampak la bang, kereta mereka semua tint gelap gelap, lebihx2 lagi, sentiasanya motosikal polis yang berada di hadapan kereta mereka, memang tak boleh nampak asap asap gelap punya.
Thanks to Puspakom for allowing these thick smokers on the road. What’s went wrong to the insiders?
Metrobus bus and other buses that emit deep black thick smoke should be ban!!!!!
Change bus or freaking close down the company !!!!
Well done! Now when is Malaysia start banning diesel in major city?
Cannot ban lah. All busses and lorries are owned by companies that are eventually owned by Ministers. So, they will never ban it. We just suffer with lung disease.
This is the time for proton to take advantage in European market. This is why we never promoted diesel powered cars.
We never promote or we do NOT have the technology to promote ?!
EU have other requirements like AEB.
I remember the comment section heavily promoted the introduction and use of ‘clean’ diesel, Euro 6 and above in Malaysia while the results of diesel isn’t as promising in old Europe. Diesel car produce a lot more toxic gas such as Nitrogen Oxide which are much more harmful to people’s health than the polar bears up north, and all for the selfish advantages of Additional torque and mileage. Japan and US heavily went to the direction of electric assisted ICE as opposed to the European makers who heavily lobbied for the use of diesel as it is the easiest and cheapest way to cut CO2 emission in accordance to the 90s Kyoto Treaty. It means the polar bears have a few more years to live while populous cities across Europe sees a rise in cancer and other respiratory related diesease.
Today most automakers in Europe are reverting to hybrid and EV rather hastily and Tesla showed us an electric vehicle can be even torqier while being faster, quieter and cheaper to run than any diesel dream of. As unpopular as an opinion , I believe Malaysia I believe should skip the diesel dream and head straight for EV cars and infrastructure development. Diesel shall be exclusively for prime movers and heavy equipment and I notice PJ has already started the use of electric buses which is promising.
Dun think so. EV bus r very expensive. Even china bus is 2X more than volvo/scania/man.
Ironically, it is the European who promoted ‘clean’ diesel. Now they are the one saying diesel are the main cause of toxic gases(Nitrogen Oxide-NOx/Nitrogen dioxide-NO2) that can penetrate the lungs, contribute to cardiovascular illness/death, inflammation of the lungs (which can trigger asthma/bronchitis) & increased risk of heart attack/stroke.
I guess, we should thank WHO for highlighting the health issue to the people. The frightening part in Europe is that the diesel outsell the petrol brethren. Diesel/petrol currently are the major contributor to our depleting Ozone.
My only hope is that the world would have make it mandatory for all powered vehicles to be Zero emission B4 I die. Fully EV is the only way to go. Well said AVH as always. Shalom & Cheers …
PJ got electric bus? What bus is that?
toy bus.
2 buses only. Out of the 22 buses available on the PJ green colour free bus services. They are the same bus as the one use on the Sunway BRT line, made by BYD of China.
And they were bashing Gov for buying expensive china buses…
Interesting…. isn’t it expensive then? I thought I saw someone say it cost a million?
I also could remember those people were sayings how backwards Malaysia is
And the forever famous grass is always greener on the other side albeit fed with lots of bullshit comments “in the they are already so advance with Euro 5/6 and people there dont have lung cancer”
The problem with hybrid car is the use of toxic materials when producing its batteries.
If I not mistaken they also uses rare earth materials in hybrid cars and batteries
And rare earth mining destructs flora and founa,
Apart from destruction they polute the waters surrounding the mine too
So its not exactly green either.
EV uses batteries too and EV also has problems with having enough range/charging station network
I guess there’s really no silver bullet
However the best we can do is to compromise and thus far the best compromise is still with petrol engines
Recently some company tried to revive opposed piston engines with 2 strokes
A 2 stroke engine is lighter and produce power every revolution
So theoretically they have twice the power of a same sized 4 stroke engines
http://ecomotors.com/
Perhaps that might be our next best compromise by being more efficient
Well done! Besides that, in Malaysia, seeing the way Malaysian people maintain their vehicle (looks like zero/never maintained – asal boleh jalan is cukup), it’s not surprising lots of diesel vehicles in this country spewed out clouds of thick black smoke (the vehicle age not even 1 – 2 years old). Also, vehicle owners that simply remove their fine working catcon, their vehicles need to be removed as well (before that, they need to get punished by inhale their own exhaust gas for 1 hour).
Most cars in Europe have start-stop function. Not only it saves fuel, but the environment too.
And when my lovely country finally just wanted to introduce their product called Bio-diesel! Wuhuu~!! Still diesel…
nope Malaysia will never follow this as long as Petronas is here.
why? Most boleh pipu use petrol not diesel.
It will take a long time for MY, not cuz of Pet, but cuz of infrastructure for alternative fuels r not there.
Malaysia is always VERY SLOW compared to other developed countries… expect this to only happen after 30 years – 40 years later…