A girl was run over and sexually abused by an identified man on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the district of La Matanza in the city of Virrey Pino, in the province of Buenos Aires.

According to the victim’s father, Luis Díaz, “she felt the car hit her, after the collision the driver offered to take her to hospital, but she denied.”

After the young woman refused the man’s help, he forced her into his car and took her to a vacant lot where, “he threatened to kill her while he was violating her. He drove two blocks and threw her out of the car afterwards” stated Díaz.

“My daughter is feeling bad in every way. She has bruises and cuts”, her father added.

The Justice Department of La Matanza is investigating the case.

On a daily basis, 1,375,000 vehicles enter Buenos Aires, between private cars, public transport and trucks. As a result, transport is responsible for 38% of greenhouse gases in the city, and 90% of the pollution.

The transport system has collapsed. Part of the problem is to do with the shape of the city - the centre of financial and commercial activities are concentrated along the river, meaning the majority of the transport has to cross the city, from 180 degrees, instead of the 360 degrees in a more conventionally shaped city, with the economic heart in the geographic centre.

Lack of maintenance of the vehicles is another issue, leading to less fuel efficiency, thus generating higher emissions.

Buenos Aires is additionally the noisiest city in Latin America, and these high levels of noise add to the air pollution. According to the World Health Organisation, above 70 decibels, sounds are bothersome, and those higher than 90 decibels are damaging. Thirty years ago, the noise level in the streets of Buenos Aires was between 50 and 60 decibels - today the levels are above 70.

There is hope - in 2009 the first eco-bus with a hybrid engine, between running in the city on line 62. Then just last month the Metrobus began to run from Palermo to Liniers, speeding up commutes with an efficient system. And lest we forget, Macri and his ‘Mejor en Bici’ campaign, aiming to get us all on bikes! That said, there is much to be done.

So what can you do?

• Walk! If you live in the city, pretty much everything you could need is within walking distance, and so go out and use it. Supporting local stores rather than driving to a supermarket helps the local economy as well as being better for the environment. So why not get around on your own energy - it is healthier too.
• Use a bicycle. Yes, it’s still a bit scary, but getting better. A few tips: ride on the left-hand side, particularly on bigger roads, as buses pull in on the right and taxis also cruise there, so you will have a less stressful ride on the right; invest in a bell - particularly useful for those who have decided bicisendas are actually the pavement and want to wander leisurely up them with their backs to you. Or learn to holler “es un bicisenda, boludo/a!” To see a map of the bike lanes and where you can safely park your bike, visit www.mejorenbici.com.
• Use public transport. Sounds obvious, but it really does make a difference. And if you are anywhere near a subte, it is by far the fastest way to get around the city. Don’t kid yourself and get a taxi thinking it will be quicker - 99% of the time, it won’t be!
• Don’t use the car for short distances - particularly in the city, where your engine is much less efficient - on average double the amount of fuel is used up than the same distance on the open road.
• If you insist on taking your car, share it! If two people were to share a journey of 15km to work on a daily basis, they would save 1.5 tonnes of CO2 a year, as well as around $180 each on petrol. If nobody in your office lives near you, find someone! Two sites exist: www.viajamosjuntos.com and www.compartocoche.com.ar, and you can save money as well as meeting someone new.

Photo courtesy of Circuito 9 Karting

I am a modest guy; but I like to think that behind the wheel of a car I am the fastest man (I mean person) around!

I had my chance to prove it at ‘Circuito 9 Karting’.

The adrenalin was pumping round my body. My sweaty palms gripped the wheel so tight that I began to get cramp in my hands. The flag dropped, and I was off.

I won (albeit against only one opponent) and I proved that I am the world’s undisputed driving champion!

‘Circuito 9 karting’, which can be found in Av. Rafael Obligado or the more common name of Costa Salguero, offers a range of deals from a ‘show up and go’ style 20 laps for $50 to a ‘Super Grand Prix’ that constitutes six qualifying laps and a 30 lap race. If you are over 12 years old and in a group smaller than 12 strong then there will be something that suits you. Be warned though… laps go by a lot quicker than you might expect!

The track is the largest in Buenos Aires with a lot of turns. While this makes it harder to pass other drivers, it is a lot of fun to drive. The karts are four cylinder Honda engines. That mean absolutely nothing to me; so in layman’s terms, the karts are fast!

All events are catered with food and drinks and Susana the owner of the circuit makes a point of trying to fulfil your desires: “If you want a parrilla, you get a parrilla. If you want sandwiches, you get sandwiches.”

More importantly, if there are ten or more drivers, the winner of the grand prix event is presented with a lovely trophy!

The staff were all very friendly and importantly they are able to carry out the standard ‘safety talk’ in English if need be. All in all if you are a fan of go-karting you will be a fan of ‘Circuito 9’.

Contact ‘Circuito 9 Karting’ on 4801 0079, email info@circuito9.com.ar or check at the website at www.circuito9.com.ar