The red-green city council of Munich decided today to ban diesel driving in the city center. From February 1, 2023, there will be a driving ban for diesel vehicles in emission class Euro 4, i.e. cars that have received a green sticker, in the environmental zone. If the values do not improve, diesel vehicles with the Euro 5 sticker are also to be banned from October next year. Then only Euro 6 diesel will be allowed into the city center. Around 140,000 Munich vehicles would then have to remain outside.
The reason for this is that the limit value for nitrogen oxides of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air is constantly exceeded. We are talking regarding more than 51 micrograms as a constant excess. However, the Bavarian state capital’s own measurements show that there have been no exceedances since the second quarter. And before that it only affected one busy street, Landshuter Allee.
The city’s environmental department knows very well that, in addition to traffic, power plants, industrial furnaces and domestic heating are among the most important emitters of nitrogen oxides. Should the traffic serve as a symbol once once more, as the source of all evil, which is now being stuffed with power but pointlessly by the second mayor Kathrin habenharm (Greens)?
The automobile club “Mobil in Deutschland” is considering legal action. For its boss Michael Haberland, the Munich action is a breach of a taboo on the backs of the citizens. 250,000 people are simply left behind and forbidden to use their property. “Quasi a complete expropriation “, emphasizes Haberland. Munich has a very good air, he says and threatens to sue. After all, all drivers of Euro 4 and Euro 5 diesel vehicles would have a right to use their car.
But the city has other priorities in this case. Several lawsuits are pending once morest Munich because of the poor nitrogen oxide levels on Landshuter Allee, among other things. According to the mayor, Habenharm, it was to be feared that the city would have lost these procedures. Then, instead of the phased model, diesel driving bans for Euro 4 and Euro 5 diesel would have had to be imposed immediately – because of the traffic on a street in the metropolis with a claim to being a cosmopolitan city.
And no matter how absurd Munich acts, you can already hear the cheers of the usual self-proclaimed environmental lobbyists. It’s really a shame that they’d rather speak into the microphones than stick themselves somewhere on a freeway ramp. (Peter Schwerdtmann, cen)