Diesel driving bans Munich: Heavy criticism from ADAC, IHK and dealer association - "Wrong time, wrong direction"

Created: 10/25/2022 3:31 p.m

By: Sascha Karowski

Diesel driving bans have long been in place in Stuttgart.

Now they are also to be issued in Munich.

© Bernd Weissbrod

The planned diesel driving bans in Munich are causing more and more trouble.

The city council will decide on Wednesday, October 26th.

IHK, ADAC and City Partner criticize the project.

Munich – The driving ban for diesel cars is coming.

The city council is scheduled to approve the plans of the Greens and SPD on Wednesday, October 26th.

Then, from February, diesel vehicles in emission classes Euro 1 to 4 would no longer drive in the environmental zone and the Mittlerer Ring.

There should be exceptions for residents and delivery traffic.

There has been criticism of the project from ADAC, trade representatives and inner-city retailers.

Diesel driving bans in Munich: the city has been violating the prescribed EU limit values ​​for years

The background: Since the invention of the Otto engine, Munich has been violating EU limits for pollutants.

Landshuter Allee, for example, is considered the busiest street in Germany.

Again and again courts had ruled that - at that time - the Free State had to do something about the high nitrogen oxide values.

However, the state government did not act at first and ultimately even simply shrugged off the responsibility.

Municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants have been responsible for the clean air plan themselves since the summer of last year.

Munich is now fulfilling precisely this responsibility.

Various investigations had recently shown that only the driving bans will help to comply with the nitrogen oxide values ​​​​in Munich.

Only driving bans are therefore able to implement the case law.

If Munich did not act, the bans could also be imposed by courts - and then probably not only within the Mittlerer Ring.

Diesel driving bans in Munich: ADAC addresses criticism in an open letter to Mayor Dieter Reiter

The ban does not suit everyone.

"The proposal goes in the wrong direction at the wrong time," criticized the ADAC in an open letter to Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD).

Driving bans do not reflect the everyday reality of many citizens.

After all, the car is indispensable for commuters.

Meanwhile, the IHK fears that many of those affected will look for alternative routes if they are no longer allowed to drive on the Mittlerer Ring.

It is to be welcomed that exception rules would be created.

However, these should apply to all tradespeople.

"Commerce, services, hotels and restaurants in the city center live not only from delivery traffic per se, but from commercial traffic as a whole."

Diesel driving bans in Munich: City Partner dealer association accuses the city of being disproportionate

Even without diesel driving bans, only Landshuter Allee would exceed the limit values ​​after 2023, according to calculations by the association of inner-city dealers, City Partner.

Their spokesman, Wolfgang Fischer, criticizes the driving bans as disproportionate.

"Despite the ever-improving air quality in the city, a concept of measures with diesel driving bans is proposed, which affects well over 200,000 citizens and thousands of companies in Munich and the region alone during this difficult time for everyone.

And that's just to get a grip on the readings in one place."