As of: March 14, 2024, 5:17 p.m
By: Sascha Karowski, Isabel Winklbauer
Comments
Press
Split
Since February 1st of this year there has been a ban on Euronorm 4 diesel vehicles in Munich.
© Sven Hoppe
The question of whether the diesel driving ban in Munich will be tightened remains open.
The Administrative Court did not make a judgment on Thursday.
But there is a trend.
Munich - Is the next stage of the diesel driving ban coming in Munich?
The question remains open even after a trial before the Administrative Court, where German Environmental Aid (DUH) and the city of Munich met yesterday.
The court first wants to wait for an expert opinion drawn up by the city.
In the paper, the Department for Climate and Environmental Protection explains how it wants to respond to the still high levels of pollutants in the air - a corresponding city council meeting is planned for April 24th.
The court wants to make recommendations based on the report next week.
We clarify what diesel drivers need to know.
Diesel driving bans in Munich: German environmental aid insists on tightening them due to poor values
What could drivers face now?
The DUH insists that stage 2 of the diesel driving ban be activated.
According to this, the Middle Ring and everything inside it would also be taboo for vehicles with Euronorm 5 (except residents and suppliers).
According to reports, the city is tending to impose driving bans on individual routes, such as the section between Georg-Brauchle-Ring and the entrance to the Lindau Autobahn.
It is also conceivable to abolish the previously valid exceptions to the existing driving ban in level 1.
Residents and delivery traffic with Euronorm 4 would then be banned from the low-emission zone like everyone else; only those with Euronorm 5 are allowed in.
Background: 90 percent of all diesel drivers currently affected by bans are exceptions!
If they didn't exist, emissions levels could be reduced significantly.
Will there be further tightening measures after level 2?
Probably not.
Because the city finally lifted stage 3 of the driving ban in October (tz reported).
The court determined that this decision applies.
Stage 3 would have stipulated that diesel vehicles would no longer be allowed to drive on the Mittlerer Ring and in the city center without exception - which would have placed great burdens on residents and suppliers.
That is now a thing of the past.
Who would be affected by new bans?
There are currently 688 trucks and 17,921 cars registered with Euronorm 4 in Munich.
With Euronorm 5 there are currently 7,654 trucks and 43,448 cars, such as the Mazda CX-7 (built in 2013) or a Golf VI 1.6 TDI Trendline.
Driving bans in Munich: Landshuter Allee is the most polluted street in Germany
Why does the diesel driving ban even exist?
Munich has been violating EU limits for nitrogen oxide (40 micrograms per cubic meter of air) on some streets, including Landshuter Allee, for years.
Most recently, 45 micrograms were measured here as the annual average value.
As early as 2012, courts had decided, following a lawsuit from Deutsche Umwelthilfe, that the EU requirements for air pollution control had to be implemented with diesel driving bans.
Munich agreed on a compromise with the DUH: the three-stage diesel driving ban.
Level 1 has been in effect since February 2023. But the city decided against further levels due to improved values.
Since the air values are still above the limit, the city has to decide what to do next.
Will the diesel driving ban remain?
The question is open.
Among other things, the Mobil car club in Germany filed model lawsuits against the ban on Euro 4 diesel.
What's next?
The EU has already adjusted the limit values: from 2030 they should be 20 micrograms.
Until then, the city must adopt effective measures to reduce pollution.