• Polish cities are among the most polluted in Europe

• Thousands of deaths could be avoided

• Spanish cities have found ways to fight pollution

WARSAW, Poland, July 24, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.