Mexico City air quality driving restrictions to continue for fourth day

MND Staff

May 15, 2024

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Mexico City's emergency pollution restrictions have been in effect since Monday. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico City authorities declared a Phase 1 air quality emergency on Wednesday morning, restricting vehicular traffic, including taxis and cargo deliveries. 

The Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) released a press bulletin at 3 p.m. confirming the measures will continue into Thursday for the fourth consecutive day, outlining the driving restrictions imposed when a Phase 1 air pollution emergency is declared.

During a Phase 1 emergency, automobiles with specific license plates and specific exhaust verification ratings are prohibited from driving, 50% of gas delivery trucks are kept off the road, and cargo trucks are only allowed to make deliveries between 6-10 a.m. Taxis can operate freely from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. but thereafter they must adhere to restrictions linked to their license plates and exhaust verification ratings.

Authorities also urged residents to stay indoors and to avoid outdoor activities and exercise between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to prevent unnecessary exposure to high ozone levels. The CAMe also encouraged organizations to cancel civic, cultural and recreational activities that had been scheduled to take place outdoors.

According to the Mexico City Air Quality Monitoring System (SIMAT) a high-pressure system above the central and southern regions of the country has been creating conditions that make dispersion of pollutants difficult.

SIMAT also reported that only three of its 15 monitoring stations rated air quality in the Valley of Mexico as Good. Four others rated the air quality as Acceptable. The remaining eight rated it as Bad.

Conagua, however, is predicting that the Valley of Mexico, as well as the state of Querétaro and Morelos, could be seeing a bit of relief later on Wednesday, with intermittent rain squalls predicted thanks to humidity from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

With reports from La Jornada and Expansión

Mexico City air quality driving restrictions to continue for fourth day Mexico City pollution restrictions entered a third day Wednesday, leaving many metro zone commuters unable to drive until 10 p.m.

Retired in Ajijic, Mexico

 

PHOTO OF THE DAY The Santa Cecilia Hotel in Guanajuato ❤️ | Photo from @elfotografodeguanajuato

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They rescue the dog of a Canadian murdered in the Querétaro bypass

 

SECURITY

They rescue the dog of a Canadian murdered in the Querétaro bypass

By: Cecilia Rubalcava

Queretaro

05-07-2024

https://www.meganoticias.mx/queretaro/noticia/rescatan-a-perro-de-canadiense-asesinada-en-libramiento-de-queretaro/517144

On March 17, after the tragic murder of the Canadian Gabriel Shart in the Northeast Bypass, animal rights organizations and the Animal Care Center of the Municipality of El Marqués managed to rescue one of the three lost dogs. This is Rosa, a Labrador mix, who was found near the tollbooth.

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Mexico News from Around the Web

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Expats & Locals Around Mexico

As always with Mexico, I highly recommend seeking out people who are currently living in the places that you want to visit. Speak to the locals living in those places and find out how you can better integrate. Ask questions, be curious and kind. For updates about Mexico City, as always I recommend following Ubish Yaren on Instagram. You can also follow Anais of The Curious Mexican for updates on the restaurant and food scene in Mexico City and what is back open. For updates about what's going on in Oaxaca and around Mexico, Susan of Brooklyn Tropicali has been sharing a trip that she is taking around the country, but she also shares off-the-beaten-path Oaxaca content. Trisha of PS I'm On My Way currently lives in Cabo San Lucas and can share some insights into what is happening there with you. Check out her website here. She also has a great Mexico-specific website called Mexico Insider which you can read here. For regular updates about life in Merida and around the Yucatan, check out Mexico Cassie who has also recently written a fantastic guide about Traveling Yucatan with Kids. Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo also shares her experiences in Merida and around the Yucatan. She also has a fantastic blog all about Merida here and all about Oaxaca here.  The Yucatan Times is the local English newspaper in Merida that shares local updates and news reports. To keep up with what's going on in and around Guadalajara, follow Alex of the Backpacking Brunette. Vallarta Daily is the local English news there where you can learn about any changes in the situation in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Nayarit beach towns as well. Unfortunately, this has been purchased by Mexico New Daily and all articles now sit behind a paywall, but if you are living in Vallarta, then it may be a subscription you want to consider. Riviera Maya News is the local English newspaper there where you can keep up with changes. I believe this is the region that is changing the most in regards to safety at the minute and if you plan to independently travel here (renting a car and exploring without tours or away from resorts), then I highly recommend speaking to someone who is there right now. As always, a great place to keep up to date with news about what's happening all over Mexico in English is Mexico News Daily. The newspaper is going through some changes, so I'm never 100% sure whether I'll be able to see a bunch of articles or none at all on a given day, but it seems that if you register as a user (for free), you are able to see more articles at the moment.

Visiting Mexico Soon?

If you are planning a trip to Mexico soon, I hope you'll have a browse of the different Mexico guides on my blog or have a search through my YouTube videos to help you plan your trip! I also have FOUR extensive guidebooks available for Baja California Sur, Mexico City (updated February 2023!!), Merida, and Guanajuato! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me by simply hitting reply on this email. Speak soon and safe travels, Laura

Eternal Expat Principal 20 CDMX Mexico