The plan for a zone with reduced pollutant emissions from transportation in Haifa was approved

In the first phase, the program will apply to vehicles weighing 3.5 tons or more - a 10% reduction for respirable particles of the PM 2.5 type and about 4% for nitrogen oxides.

In the second phase, the program will include all vehicles defined as pollutants - a reduction of at least 20% in particle emissions and at least 5% in nitrogen oxide emissions from vehicles.

CEO of Yafe Nof, Avishai Cohen: "The program is like a house with many rooms and the issue of vehicles is one room within this house, it is not the whole. We touch within a treatment that includes treatment of industry, vessels, hazardous materials and environmental risk reduction and monitoring. There is a holistic and controlled program here. We know the results The requirements and also the schedule. This is not a random plan of one person who got up in the evening, decided to say something and do a plan without an inspection or a control procedure.

"The diesel component is considered one of the most polluting components and endangers public health. This is backed up by studies all over the world and this figure is not in dispute. This was done between three parties and the most significant is the public cooperation agreement and the government's decision that has been validated and backed up this agreement. The goals are to reduce emissions to 2018 in relation to 2014 from industry, increased supervision and reduction of air pollution in fuel burning by replacing pollution reducing systems. As part of the program led by the Haifa municipality, particulate filters will be replaced with a subsidy from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. 300 polluting Egged buses will be replaced with filters at a cost of millions of shekels (for this purpose, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has qualified garages to replace filters). 30 city buses and the metro will be replaced with trucks powered by natural gas, as mentioned above. Fares for travel in tunnels will be reduced and 500 taxis will switch to electric drive."

"The plan is divided into two phases. Phase 2017 until 3.5 will apply to all vehicles over 2022 tons. Phase 20 until 25 will include all vehicles, including vans, including taxis, including everything, and here we are talking about a XNUMX% and XNUMX% reduction in nitrogen emissions which are considered the most dangerous. The plan is not intended to prevent the entry of vehicles. The goal is to allow the entry of non-polluting vehicles. We did not come to make it difficult for the whole country."

Avi Moshel, who prepared the transportation plan for the municipality of Haifa: "We examined the issue of traffic and the effect of the plan on traffic in Haifa and the issue of the effect of the plan on air pollution in the Haifa area. The plan will improve air quality. Most of the pollution that people feel is pollution from transportation and the pollution emitted by diesel vehicles is considered the most dangerous pollution to which residents are exposed out of all the pollution emitted from transportation. Therefore, the impact of this program should be very significant on the quality of the air that the residents breathe because we are making vehicles that pollute could not enter the residential area in Haifa at all. And the vehicle owners will have to replace the vehicle with a newer one that is less polluting or install a filter that reduces the pollution. 89% of the vehicles are driven For gasoline, the rest is diesel - we are focusing on trucks and buses, this is the first and most important step. Their entry will not be allowed, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection will subsidize the replacement of the filters. A vehicle that enters will receive a fine, the amount of which has not yet been determined. This is an important program that most major cities in Europe are implementing, and it is good that Haifa is the first to implement it ".

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav: "This council meeting is an important and even exciting moment. In the last year since we signed the Memorandum of Understanding, the Municipality of Haifa, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Health. We are taking many small and significant steps that individually connect to the Haifa Clean Air Zone program without neglecting in any way and forming the main war in the polluting factories. Today we took a small step out of a series of steps and it is a multi-year plan for the management and regulation of transportation in Haifa. The volume of transportation in Haifa increases every day and we must take this into account. There is a great deal of ignorance surrounding air pollution from industry, so we stick to our message from The government should appoint an international investigation team that will investigate in depth and restore all of our trust. We demand that the team be independent and provide answers and answers to the residents. But one thing we know for sure, transportation is a significant polluting factor in every metropolis. The industry is even more dangerous, but our war on pollution from transportation tonight is not Detracts for a moment from our war that we will continue to wage all the time in the polluting industries."

"We know that particles emitted from diesel vehicles cause diseases and unlike other polluting factors, our fight against them also depends on the government, also on the committees and the courts. The war on transportation depends only on us. We are not inventing anything new. What we are doing here has already been done in many cities in Europe and their people are less exposed today from pollution from transportation. It can be done and it can be done quickly and efficiently. The fight for air quality in Haifa has become bitter and piercing between many, many factors, but today we seek to respect the other and we will try to join hands and respect the professionals and the program. We will do it not only on In order to preserve our dignity as elected officials, but in order to preserve the dignity and health of the public. The plan is complex and not simple that professional parties have worked on for several months."

During the meeting, council members Yaron Hanan, Sharit Golan, Boaz Gur and Michy Alper made several comments regarding the plan. The CEO of Yaffa Nof received the comments and responded to them. Mayor Yona Yahav asked to take seriously the comments received especially from city council member Yaron Hanan. He asked to summon them to the next meetings.

At the end of the meeting to vote on the plan:
17 councilors voted in favor. 2 voted against (Sheli Meshulam Itach and Einat Rotem Kalish) and 1 abstained (Council member Yaron Hanan).

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