What can polluted Polish cities learn from Spain? Kapsch TrafficCom explains
July 24 2024 - 1:15AM
Business Wire
- Polish cities are among the most polluted in Europe
- Thousands of deaths could be avoided
- Spanish cities have found ways to fight pollution
Polish cities' problems with air pollution are well known. A
report by researchers from the Medical University of Bialystok
highlights the harmful effects of air pollution on people's health,
from asthma and cardiovascular disease to cancer.
The researchers calculated that if air pollution levels were
reduced to WHO standards, 25 000 deaths could have been avoided
over the past 10 years in eastern Poland alone.
Urgent need for action
Immediate action is needed, especially in cities, as no Polish
city meets the WHO criteria for air quality. Traffic, which
accounts for 25% of urban air pollution, is one of the key causes
of the problem. This is becoming an increasingly important topic
for local authorities, not only for environmental reasons, but also
for public health reasons.
"The main source of particulate pollution in cities is motorised
traffic," explains Maciej Zezyk, Sales Director at Kapsch
TrafficCom. "Braking and tyre wear play a particularly important
role here, so simply switching to electric vehicles is not the
ultimate solution. It is about reducing the traffic load and better
distributing the overall demand for mobility."
Learning from Spain's success
There are a number of technologies that have proven their
effectiveness in reducing pollution in cities, and Spain is one of
the pioneers in this field. Following the introduction of new
emissions legislation in 2021, more and more Spanish cities are
using Clean Air Zone (CAZ) solutions to improve air quality. Kapsch
TrafficCom is currently supporting six cities to implement these
solutions, enabling them to meet EU targets and access EU funds.
More than three and a half million people benefit from these
projects. The results are: less traffic congestion, better air and
an overall higher quality of life.
Clean air zones are also bringing benefits in other European
cities. In London, for example, CO2 pollution was reduced by 20 per
cent, while in Milan a similar measure resulted in an 18 per cent
drop in particulate matter.
Data as a key element
In Seville, Spain, traffic management is based on artificial
intelligence and the intelligent use of data. Practical solutions
such as real-time parking information, dynamic traffic control to
avoid congestion or demand-based public transport management during
major events are becoming a reality there thanks to advanced
traffic management systems.
"It is crucial that cities implement these solutions
thoughtfully and responsibly. Spanish cities have decades of
experience in technology-based traffic management and are now
taking the next step towards data-driven traffic management,"
explains Maciej Zezyk. "Powerful tools are available to improve air
quality and reduce congestion. The impact of these systems is clear
- they benefit the community, the environment and public
health."
More information: Press | Kapsch TrafficCom
Kapsch TrafficCom is a globally renowned provider of
transportation solutions for sustainable mobility with successful
projects in more than 50 countries. Innovative solutions in the
application fields of tolling, tolling services, traffic management
and demand management contribute to a healthy world without
congestion.
With one-stop-shop solutions, the company covers the entire
value chain of customers, from components to design and
implementation to the operation of systems.
Kapsch TrafficCom, headquartered in Vienna, has subsidiaries and
branches in more than 25 countries and is listed in the Prime
Market segment of the Vienna Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: KTCG).
In its 2023/24 financial year, about 4,000 employees generated
revenues of EUR 539 million.
Further information: www.kapsch.net
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240723108083/en/
Carolin Treichl Executive Vice President Marketing &
Communications Kapsch TrafficCom AG Am Europlatz 2, 1120 Vienna,
Austria P +43 50 811 1710 carolin.treichl@kapsch.net
Sandra Bijelic Head of Corporate Communications Kapsch
TrafficCom AG Am Europlatz 2, 1120 Vienna, Austria P +43 664 628
1720 sandra.bijelic@kapsch.net