It's the NoX that I notice much more than the soot. I get breathing difficulties after walking past buses (the sharp smell of the NoX fumes is pretty noticeable). I've had bronchitis twice in the past two years.
I've even started changing my walking routes to avoid busy roads entirely due to the diesel pollution.
What adds insult to injury is that many of these buses advertise as "Enviro" because their Diesel engines produce marginally less CO2 than a gasoline engine.
It's the same story elsewhere - MB offers probably half of the engines that rest of Europe gets, if there is a petrol option it is hugely underpowered, and diesel is the only way to go.
Obviously no-one wants to admit that they were wrong, but to continue to tax existing diesel vehicles lower because of reasons we now know to be bogus is a disgrace.
Diesels need to be taxed MUCH higher than petrols, especially those without AdBlue injection.
Long range EVs can't come soon enough. Even still, my next car is a Leaf.
It sounds absurd, but I can see the increase in Diesel soot on the roads and pavements here, and more often than not, it can be smelt from passing traffic.
To be fair, that I've become more aware of it is making me notice it more - but I live now not so far from where I grew up and it's clear how much difference the last 10-15 years have made to the state of the local environment. It's disgusting, and no doubt a massive public health crisis 10-20 years from now in the UK, where we already lead the world in lung disease.