Congestion charges in city centers are growing in popularity with city mayors across the world, but in Germany they’ve gone one step further, with the introduction of new green zones in urban areas affected by air pollution.
As of 1 January motorists who wish to drive in certain areas in Berlin, Cologne and Hanover will have to display an environmental badge of their vehicle which proves it has passed emissions tests. Badges will come in three colors – red, yellow or green, to signify a car’s emissions levels, and heavily polluting vehicles such as petrol cars without catalytic convertors and diesel models without particle filters will be banned from the green zones entirely.
The zone laws apply for all vehicles, including foreign cars, trucks and buses, which means tourists on European road trips will also have to comply with the new laws, or face a 40 Euro fine. German drivers who drive in a green zone without a badge will receive the fine and a penalty point on their license.
Green zones in further 17 German cities will be introduced in March 2008, which, according to Germany’s motoring club ADAC, will mean around 1.7 million cars will not be allowed into the zones because of their high level of emissions.
Rather than reduce congestion, the green zones have been introduced to help protect areas at risk from high levels of ‘fine particulate matter’ – air pollution which according to a study by the European Union, causes some 310,000 people to fall ill every year from inhaling it, 20 per cent of them in Germany. Critics, however, will likely claim that this is simply another way for the German government to collect stealth taxes from motorists, as the environmental permits will cost up to 50 Euros to apply for.
