The latest travel news focuses on the Mayor of Madrid officially banning private vehicles from entering the city's center. This ban on cars has been set down especially on the city's most popular street known as the Gran Via, a popular destination for shopping and leisure at the heart of the City of Madrid.
According to a report from the Express UK, there has been a nine-day long temporary ban on private vehicles in the city just before the year 2016 ended. Along with this was there were additional driving restrictions that limit drivers from entering and exiting certain locations around the city.
It would seem that the City Mayor, Manuela Carmela, plans to lengthen the ban until the city will be private vehicle free and make the Gran Via car ban more permanent. It is the City Mayor's effort pedestrianize the city, cut down on carbon emissions, improve the city's traffic situation and eventually ban diesel vehicles completely by 2025 according to a report from the Independent UK.
Other than that, it is their hope to finally help the economy of small entrepreneurs in the area as the lack of need for parking spaces could eventually increase their visitors in the future. On the other hand, there are still no significant studies that have observed the effect of this car ban on the businesses in the area.
What would this mean for both local and foreign travelers? It would be a great thing for their health as there will be a significant decrease in carbon emissions in the city. This is especially true since the country has been suffering from higher concentrations of carbon in their atmosphere, based on a report from BBC.
The promotion of a pedestrian-friendly city would push more people to exercise due to the longer walks they would need to take. Based on their analysis, the Madrid car ban would also be a great way for them to have a deeper appreciation of the centuries-old architecture of Madrid especially since the Gran Via has been established in the early 1900s.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
