Amsterdam is banning cars and other emissions-emitting vehicles in the city by 2030.
The city of Amsterdam is preparing to ban all diesel and gas cars and motorbikes by 2030 in an effort to curb air pollution in the picturesque Dutch city, according to reports from the Netherlands.
“Pollution often is a silent killer and is one of the greatest health hazards in Amsterdam,” Amsterdam Traffic Councilor Sharon Dijksma said, explaining the decision to Reuters. Dijksma said that air pollution in the city shortens lifespans of average resident by more than a year, Dijksa said.
Despite its bicycle culture — bike sharing was first pioneered in Amsterdam in 1960s, the Netherlands has air pollution levels that exceed the European Union’s safety rules, mostly because of traffic in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
The plan will be implemented in stages, according to the Guardian. But could begin with a ban on diesel cars that are more than 15 years old. The old diesel-powered vehicles will be banned from the area within the A10, the ring road surrounding Amsterdam.
(Hamburg, German becomes first European city to ban older diesels. Click Here for the story.)
Mercedes diesels were wildly popular in the 1970s and '80s, but they won't be welcome in Amsterdam after 2030.
In addition, by 2022, public buses that emit exhaust will be banned from the city center. By 2025, exhaust-emitting boats that ply the city’s fabled canals as well as mopeds and light mopeds will also be banned from city. By 2030, all traffic must be emission free.
The plan’s success will also require the city to increase the number of electric-vehicle charging stations from 3,000 to 16,000 to 23,000 by 2025. The council hopes to encourage residents to switch to electric or hydrogen cars by offering subsidies and parking permits, according to Reuters.
Environmental activists have praised Amsterdam plan for its ambition.
(Click Here to see more about California mulling a gasoline engine ban.)
“The banning of petrol and diesel cars and motorbikes can be done because Amsterdam is doing it. If they can do it then your city should be able to also,” Extinction Rebellion tweeted.
Several other cities across the globe, among them Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have said they plan to ban diesel vehicles from city centers by 2025, while the mayor of Copenhagen wants to ban new diesel cars from entering the city as soon as possible.
While France and Britain will ban new petrol and diesel cars by 2040, Amsterdam is one of the first cities to ban the internal combustion engine completely.
(To see more about London waging war on diesels in the city, Click Here.)