14 DAY TRIAL // Judging by how things are going, it might not be long until some cars file a lawsuit against lawmakers on the grounds that they are being discriminated against based on how much air pollution they cause.
Quite ironically, odds are that, when this day comes, the same cars will have to file yet another discrimination lawsuit on the basis that they and their complaints are being utterly and completely ignored.
Not to beat about the bush, media reports say that several parking meters that charge people based on how much air pollution their vehicles cause will become operational in Madrid, Spain's capital and largest city, on July 1.
According to Inhabitat, the cars that these park meters will discriminate against are four-wheelers that run on diesel and similar fuels that release loads of harmful chemical compounds when burned and consequently affect both the environment and public health.
The end goal of this initiative is to twist people's arm into opting for environmentally friendly vehicles when out car shopping, or at least take their polluting cars for a spin less often than they currently do.
“We thought it would be fair if the cars that pollute more pay more, and compensate those who use more efficient vehicles,” explains Elisa Barahona with the Madrid City Council's Environment and Mobility Department.
“Particularly for those who have cars that pollute, we hope that having to pay more will make people think twice before using them,” Elisa Barahona adds.
Madrid's new meters are wired in such ways that, when compared to average tariffs, hybrid vehicles will pay about 20% less for the pleasure of resting in a parking lot in this urban area. By comparison, a diesel car will pay about 20% more.
Due to the fact that they cause virtually no environmental pollution – provided that the power that they run on comes from clean sources and not from coal-fired plants or other similar facilities, that is – electric cars will get to park in Madrid free of charge.
Apart from installing these smart parking meters, Madrid is looking to green up its ways by implementing a bike-sharing program set to be launched in this year's June, and by acquiring more efficient buses that are expected to help the city's public transit improve on its ecological footprint.
As mentioned, these measures are not only intended to help put a leash on climate change and global warming, but to also make the city safer for its dwellers. This is because, as shown by the World Health Organization back in October 2013, air pollution, for which cars are partly to blame, is a leading cause of cancer.