After results came in from both the city and the business sector regarding the “Day without a car”, Medellin’s City Council debated pros and cons.

Sergio Soto, president of Fenalco Antioquia, spoke in representation of the business sector and indicated that the measure lacked coordination with businesses which were highly affected by it. 

“We need to observe the biggest contaminants in the city, which are not just vehicles, there are also factories, taxis and buses”, Soto said.

While some councilmen agreed the negative effects on businesses need to be reviewed and avoided, others pointed out that it’s a small price to pay compared to the seven billion pesos a year spent on healthcare related to respiratory problems caused by pollution.

Out of obligation, commitment to the preservation of the environment or simple civic mindedness, owners of private vehicles responded well to the “Day without a car” in Medellin by leaving their cars at home and choosing alternate forms of transportation.

Few were caught ignoring the restriction and several roadways had good circulation, less noise and contamination. Cycle paths were not as succesful in the sense that they were underused, which shows the residents of Medellin don’t yet see the benefits of using a bicycle as a means of transportation.

In the case of public transportation however, not many benefits came of the initiative; too many taxis and buses filled the streets resulting in less business for all of them.

For three years the measure was voluntary and an initiative of the universities, but now the ‘Day without a car” will be mandatory and decreed by the City Council.

Businesses have expressed their dissatisfaction with the mandatory nature of the measure saying it’s inconvenient  during times a financial crisis.

The proposing Councilman, Fabio Humberto Rivera, defends it on the grounds of environmental and health benefits.

Making the ‘Pico y Placa’ measure optional for a week has been met by many different opinions. While for some it’s a way to help the environment voluntarily and reduce traffic during peak times, “now that it’s optional it’s truly an opportunity to show that we want to take care of the environment”, one resident said.

Not everyone agrees however, and while some say they disagree completely with the measure itself, optional or mandatory, others feel people will not obey the restriction if left to their own devices.

For professor of the Andes University and transportation consultant, Germán Camilo Lleras, measures like ‘Pico y Placa’ and ‘a day without a car’ can be excellent opportunities for citizens to reflect on other forms of transportation available to them in their own city.