EU transport commissioner Bulc says dynamic city toll system could prevent driving bans

The EU Commissioner for transport, Violeta Bulc, says a dynamic toll system for inner cities could allow emission levels to be regulated and make driving bans for polluting diesel cars unnecessary. In an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau, Bulc says that “driving bans are a very frustrating thing. But maybe we cannot avoid them”. But she argues that a city toll introduced across the EU would allow national governments to find individual and flexible solutions to manage air pollution by making drivers of dirtier cars pay more and letting clean cars run for free. Bulc argues the costs associated with such a toll system would be outweighed by the health benefits and that driving bans would also require considerable investments to be managed appropriately.

Read the interview in German here.

See the CLEW article Court ruling opens door for diesel bans in German cities and the CLEW factsheet Diesel driving bans in Germany: The Q & A for background.