Reducing Air Pollution
CTSS-Andino helped remove 720 highly polluting shared taxicabs from the streets of Arequipa in January 2009. Photo by Claudia Adriazola.
Did You Know?
In protest of the Mayor's ban, the city's transport operators went on strike for three days in January 2009. But the strike failed due to the public's overwhelming support of the Mayor's decision.
Confirming the polluting effect of the outdated cars, the General Directorate of Health (DIGESA) found that emissions dropped by 25% during the strike period.
The Municipality of Arequipa recently banned the use of shared taxicabs, known as lanchones, older than 25 years old, in an effort to reduce air pollution and modernize public transport in the historic city. The new law prompted a citywide strike among all public transport operators. But Mayor Simón Balbuena's controversial decision paid off, eventually leading to the removal of 720 “highly polluting” cars from downtown streets in January 2009.
CTSS-Andino was involved in creating the technical strategy to enforce the ban. Afterwards, it also helped replace the city's old-fashioned taxicabs—a staple mode of public transport in Peru—with more than 180 newer, less polluting vehicles.
The new cars will serve medium- and low-income districts, bringing Arequipa a step closer to fulfilling the Mayor’s plans to provide sustainable urban transport to his city’s 1 million residents.
