Multiple municipalities want to ban all fuel cars in forseeable future
Several municipalities plan to ban all fossil fuel cars from their cities in the coming years or are considering doing so, the Telegraaf reports after surveying the larger municipalities. Banning individuals’ passenger cars would require a legislative amendment and it seems unlikely that this government would implement it.
Eindhoven and Amsterdam plan to be completely emission-free, preferably by 2030. Utrecht wants to become an emission-free city “as soon as possible.”
“The most effective measure to improve air quality is to introduce a zero-emission zone for passenger cars,” Utrecht wrote in a policy document. “We do see this as an interesting future measure because of its effectiveness.”
“We want all mobility in the whole of Amsterdam to be emission-free from 2030, including passenger cars,” a spokesperson for the Dutch capital said. According to Amsterdam, a lack of national regulations is holding this back. “We are, therefore, taking transitional arrangements and a later implementation date into account.”
Eindhoven is aiming to ban emitting vehicles within the ring road from 2030 and from the entire city by 2038.
Enschede told the Telegraaf that it was investigating the options for banning fuel cars. Gouda hinted at measures against fossil fuel passenger cars. “It is not inconceivable that Gouda will also expand the zero-emission zones to all vehicles that cause emissions.” Zaanstad did not mention specific plans but said it wants to be emission-free in 2040. Amersfoort first wants to ban polluting taxis before considering passenger cars.
Currently, only 6 percent of Dutch passenger cars are electric. So a ban in three of the five largest cities in the Netherlands would have major consequences for residents. BOVAG fears that residents will feel banished from their city because they cannot afford to switch to electric driving.
According to the industry association, the worst air quality problems also don’t occur in the city centers. “The question is therefore what a zero-emissions zone for passenger cars will solve,” BOVAG spokesperson Paul de Waal said to the newspaper.
The cities will likely have to wait for a next government to implement the law change needed to ban fossil fuel passenger cars. State Secretary Chris Jansen of Infrastructure and Water Management told the Telegraaf that he was not considering changing the law.
The government has been trying - unsuccessfully so far - to stop municipalities from implementing zero-emission zones banning polluting commercial vehicles from their city centers. So it seems unlikely that Jansen will change his mind about passenger cars.
