LEIPZIG: Authorities in German cities have been allowed to ban older diesel vehicles in order to meet air-quality standards.
The landmark ruling was made by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, one of Germany’s five supreme courts. The ruling allows authorities in the cities of Stuttgart and Duesseldorf to ban older, more polluting diesel vehicles. Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) had brought the case after it was discovered that in 2017, over 70 cities in Germany were exceeding the air-quality limits imposed by the European Union (EU) for nitrous oxide (NOx). Nitrous oxide emissions from diesel exhaust are known to cause respiratory diseases. Germany has experienced a declining trend in the sales of diesel vehicles as the percentage of diesel vehicles sold in Germany fell to 39 percent from 48 percent in 2015.
The ban does not include new diesel vehicles but the government has already opposed the court order.
“The court has not issued any driving bans but created clarity about the law,” said Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks. “Driving bans can be avoided, and my goal is and will remain that they do not come into force,” she added.
The German government and car makers have introduced a variety of policies to improve air quality, including offering trade-in incentives for older diesel vehicles and setting public transport free of cost in pre-designated cities.
Cities like Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have already stated that diesel vehicles would be banned from the cities by 2025. Large auto manufacturers like Toyota have already pledged to move production away from diesel vehicles and consumers have also displayed a rising preference for electric vehicles.
