If a few years ago, owning a car was a source of convenience, today it has become a source of stress and trouble. This is due to the fact that the number of cars in Yerevan has been increasing, resulting in unbearable traffic and air pollution. The city, now overpopulated by cars, was initially designed by Alexander Tamanyan for people to navigate through it on foot. However, as more and more people acquire vehicles, the number of cars has reached a level beyond the city’s capacity.
This overpopulation causes not only excess traffic but also great environmental damage. It has become a major health concern both in terms of car accidents and the emitted carbon dioxide in the air.
According to the recent World Air Quality data, Yerevan’s air quality is “unhealthy.” It is currently 13 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. Residence are highly urged to wear masks, run air purifiers, reduce outdoor exercises and close windows to avoid dirty outdoor air.
Over the last five years, air pollution in Armenia has grown by 30–40%, mainly due to the increased number of vehicles on the road. The Ministry of Environment of Armenia has stated that this is mainly caused by cars in the city.
These days importing electric vehicles has become our hope that local air pollution may be improved by going green. However, according to scientists, the battery’s environmental advantages decrease as it nears the end of its useful life. Its cells have the potential to release harmful chemicals, including heavy metals, if it ends up in a landfill.
The University of Leicester’s Dana Thompson, a materials scientist, warns that recycling batteries might be a risky bet. There isn’t enough research done yet. While governments are getting closer to enforcing recycling on some level, what we do know is that it’s more expensive for battery manufacturers to employ recycled materials than to purchase newly mined metals, which has created an economic barrier.
Apart from this, the price of electric cars and the small number of charging stations make these vehicles less accessible than the more popular gas-fueled cars. However, there are other more accessible methods to fix the problem. For starters, we can avoid using cars to move around in the center of Yerevan and instead walk.
Moreover, the streets of Yerevan have seen the introduction of a new mode of transportation in recent years. There are an increasing number of rental electric scooters using the sidewalks in the pedestrian area. This could be a good alternative to cars as it is both environmentally friendly and does not cause traffic.
However, currently, there is a lack of infrastructure to accommodate this mode of transportation. Although it is widely used, it causes many problems and inconveniences for both car drivers and pedestrians. Many claim that scooters threaten pedestrian safety, restrict their ability to move freely, and occasionally cross into the path of oncoming traffic, endangering both themselves and other road users.
A feasible solution could be to improve public transportation. With comfortable and efficient working public transportation, the need for private cars will decrease, thus improving the situation.
A better regulated system of public transportation, including the advancement of the subway lines, would make public transportation a popular choice for many. There are many countries where the hours of departure and arrival of the transport are indicated as well, as there are separate lines only for public transportation. With these advantages of not being forced to wait for a long time for transport and avoiding the heavy traffic due to the separate line will motivate more people to use them.
Moreover, adopting policies to limit the use of cars in the city center is another effective way to reduce the amount of cars. For example, limiting the parking spots in the city center will make people think twice before using their cars for short-distance trips in the city center.
There are many ways we can reduce the traffic and the air pollution in the city if there is a will both by the government and from the citizens to improve the situation so that the roads serve everyone.
