Bogotá has recently invested in a bunch of these expensive new green clean-running 'ecological' buses. Good for them, I guess.
That's particularly true since many TransMilenio buses, like this one above, belch out pollution.
However, do these new 'green' buses accomplish much when they're surrounded by dirty old machines...
...like this one?
Pollution isn't reduced by adding new vehicles, but by removing (or cleaning up) old ones.
By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours
Posts
9 comments:
So what's your point, MIke? That these new buses are not worth the cost? I use this new line on La Septima and it's great. It provides a healthier alternative to the other buses. Don't be so grumpy!
I agree with Brad. The new buses are great, and at least there is some change happening. Yes, things won't change overnight, especially here in Colombia, but at least this is a good initiative. So let's be a bit more positive ;)
Well, I kind of understand Mike's take on this. While these buses are a step in the right direction, their presence doesn't do much to address the problem. Compared to all of the collectivos on the road, these buses are a pretty weak drop in the bucket. The buses are good, but they also will give politicians reason to dance around the real problems by avoiding one of the primary issues; the collectivos.
It's good that people are aware, but awareness here in Colombia rarely ever translates to meaningful results on the ground. Kind of like that air quality monitoring station in the hippe park. What's the point?
Maybe it's a matter of looking at the glasss as half full or half empty.
But there's a real logical failure here. Does putting more vehicles on the street, no matter how clean, do anything to reduce pollution? Not unless they retire the old smog belchers, which they don't appear to be doing.
Adding the new buses gives the politicos a chance to brag. Removing the old buses - or enforcing pollution laws - would mean confronting the bus companies, which the authorities clearly don't want to do.
Mike
According to the articles I read like the one below, 38-40 traditional bus routes (about 2000 buses) will be removed starting July 20, which is when the entire fleet of 200 electric-diesel buses will be on the roads. But I haven't been paying attention long enough to know if those promises and announcements actually happen. Do they? I can't imagine they'd just continue to clog the streets with more buses without removing others. This is along the séptima- don't know about other areas.
http://www.eltiempo.com/bogota/buses-ecologicos-del-aeropuerto-el-dorado-a-la-carrera-septima/14053533
I hope the do it, but we'll have to wait and watch. I wonder whether the bus companies might just transfer the old buses to other parts of Bogotá - which does little to improve air quality.
In the past, when bus companies have agreed to junk old buses, they've sometimes first removed the engine - the source of the pollution - and towed only the chassis to the junkyard. The old engine gets installed in another bus's shell and keeps on belching out the fumes.
According to what I've seen, the last Bogotá mayor who made removing old vehicles and reducing pollution part of his policy was Garzon. I'm not sure why he's remembered as a bad mayor. Mike
According to what I've seen, the last Bogotá mayor who made removing old vehicles and reducing pollution part of his policy was Garzon. I'm not sure why he's remembered as a bad mayor. Mike
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