Stockholm environmental zone tightens controls massively
Up to now, only police officers have been able to impose fines for wrong vehicles in Stockholm's environmental zone. Since they cannot check all vehicles, the Public Order Office - at the request of the Greens - is now to take over this work. In order to do this, however, Sweden must adapt the legal framework for monitoring the zone.
In future, Stockholm is to introduce a new and stricter environmental zone in the old town and most of the city centre, thus allowing only electric cars and low-emission gas vehicles to drive. At the same time, a Class 2 low emission zone will remain in force on the busy Hornsgatan, with approximately less stringent regulations, primarily prohibiting the movement of older petrol and diesel vehicles. However, as with any law, it is necessary to introduce an effective control system to ensure that the new regulations are adhered to. With this in mind, the Swedish capital wants to revise the control and fine system for the capital's low emission zone.
Indeed, the transport department believes that compliance needs to be improved. "We see that the low emission zone helps to reduce emissions. However, in our spot checks it turns out that about every fifth vehicle on Hornsgatan emits unacceptable amounts" - explains Transport Councillor Lars Strömgren (MP). With increased exhaust emissions, these vehicles violate the regulations with impunity and worsen the air for all other road users, with bad consequences for the environment and health. Increasingly, the city must therefore ensure that vehicles that do not comply with the regulations are only allowed to drive outside the zone - and increase the control capacity to do so.
Currently, only the police can punish violations. However, the Stockholm City Council would like to be supported in these tasks by the Public Order Office in the future. The city council also wants the Public Order Office to be given the mandate to punish vehicles that violate the rules of the environmental zones. This should make it possible to relieve the police and at the same time ensure that climate-damaging cars do not enter the protected area. Before this will be possible, the Swedish government will have to make some changes to the regulations and legally entrust the office with the supervision of the low emission zone. In the coming weeks and months, the city is expected to make a decision regarding the traffic authorities' proposal and possibly change the rules for the distribution of environmental fines. It is clear, however, that Stockholm no longer wants to turn a blind eye to violations of the environmental zone regulations.
8 environmental zones are currently active in Sweden, regulating traffic on the roads with increasingly strict regulations - in Stockholm, as well as in Gothenburg and Uppsala, among others. As always, all information is available on our website and in the Green Zones app.