“Driving bans in city centres”

German cities may be able to ban or limit cars from driving into their centres, should a draft regulation compiled by the environment ministry (BMUB) at the urging of the federal states enter into effect, Spiegel Online reported Saturday. Under the regulation, municipalities would be allowed to single-handedly introduce driving bans in order to curb nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions, according to Spiegel Online. If the draft passes, cities would have three options to block diesel and other high-emission engines from their centres, the website explains. Apart from issuing access badges for low emission cars, this could mean access to certain roads is blocked for polluting vehicles altogether or that cities opt for a scheme where cars with license plates ending on an even number are allowed access on certain days and cars with plates ending on an uneven number may enter the city on others.
A spokesperson of the federal transport ministry on Monday rejected the proposal at a press conference in Berlin: "Existing regulations already give cities the opportunity to introduce driving bans under certain circumstances. We don't consider it expedient to establish new possibilities."

Read the article in German here.