I had experience working for the Kazakh company Segdek.Tech, the company's portfolio in particular includes the product "Traffic Management".Some of the features of the product are:+ Assessment of the impact of car traffic on the city

+ Modeling and analysis of optimal movement. Fighting traffic jams

+ What damage is caused to the environment by uncontrolled traffic. Now I work in another field, but now I have a good eye for noticing what cities are doing to improve the environment.

Megacities are suffocating from smog. One of the reasons is the large number of cars, traffic jams, gasoline and diesel engines. I just recently returned from China and noticed a number of interesting facts that are being implemented by the city authorities.

Hong Kong. Zeroing of duties on the import of electric vehicles. The number of cars from the manufacturer "Tesla" is shocking. And this is not surprising! When you come to Hong Kong, Tesla is real at every turn. Imagine if you can import an electric car without paying a fee! This is a powerful incentive to think about environmentally friendly transport. As a result, Hong Kong has become one of the leaders in the number of Teslas per capita. See for yourself how many of them there are on the streets.:

Guangzhou. There are lanes for electric vehicles on the expressways, and the speed resolution on them is 20-40 kilometers higher. The numbers vary in color: gasoline and diesel cars are "blue" in color, electric cars are identified by "green" numbers. It's ingeniously simple! A green number is like a "green light" for a motorist. You have benefits, and you can be seen from afar as a member of the green movement. On the highway, you fly faster than your "gasoline counterparts," and you're immediately identified in traffic.

Traffic jam in Guangzhou

These simple actions encourage car owners to gradually make a choice towards electric cars or hybrid traction. And it works! People vote in yuan/ruble/dollar when favorable and convenient conditions are created for them. And you don't need any "whips", it's enough to show a "carrot" in the form of such preferences.

But Hong Kong and Guangzhou are just the beginning! Global experience shows that there is a whole arsenal of tools to encourage the transition to electric vehicles. Here are some more examples that I found interesting.:

• Norway: This country is generally the world leader in electric mobility. They didn't just reset duties, they completely exempted electric vehicles from most taxes and fees! Plus, electric car owners are provided with free parking and charging at public stations, free travel on toll roads and ferry crossings, as well as permission to drive in public transport lanes. Unsurprisingly, an electric car is no longer a luxury there, but an everyday occurrence.

California, USA: This state has a subsidy program for the purchase of electric vehicles, as well as tax incentives. In addition, electric car owners are allowed to drive in public transport lanes (HOV lane), even if there is only a driver in the car. This is especially true in California traffic jams!

Great Britain: Here, the government provides a grant for the purchase of new electric vehicles, as well as reduces taxes for companies that switch to electric vehicles. There is an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London, where owners of old, dirty cars have to pay an entry fee, and electric vehicles enter for free. This encourages people to switch to more environmentally friendly transport.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of methods to stimulate the transition to electric vehicles. The main thing is to create conditions in which an electric car becomes not only an environmentally responsible choice, but also economically profitable and convenient for the average person. And then, you see, our megacities will be able to breathe more freely!