Stuttgart wastes millions on pointless filter systems
The state of Baden-Württemberg has purchased a total of 13 filter columns. However, the Stuttgart driving ban for EURO 5 cannot be prevented.
The air filter units were already delivered for the test phase, which ended in June. The columns will now be operated for another two years - the entire campaign will cost a little over 1.5 million euros.
The filter columns, which on the bottom line have already been operated with moderate success in Kiel and have a rather dubious reputation both in the port city itself and beyond the city limits, can only alleviate the distress in the metropolis of Stuttgart - they are by no means a permanent solution. Transport Minister Hermann (Greens) confirms this fact in a nutshell: "We are not out of the woods yet."
In addition, the minister is concerned by the fact that the volume of traffic in the Kesselstadt is higher after the lockdown than before March: "The Euro 5 driving ban remains in place, because on average we have the effects of Corona."
The CDU faction, on the other hand, still considers driving bans unnecessary, "clean air is also possible without them", as the CDU's transport policy spokesman, Thomas Dörflinger, emphasized to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten.
Several other cities are interested in the principle of filter technology, and not only for urban traffic. Paris, for example, is one of the names that come up when it comes to alternative applications for the filter columns from Ludwigsburg. For example, the famous Paris metro is to be equipped with the innovation from Germany, because train shafts including train traffic are real breeding grounds for fine dust and Co.
Strangely enough, there is a great deal of interest in the systems, even though the Higher Administrative Court of Schleswig, in its ruling on Kiel, has on several pages torn up the "suitability" of air filter systems. The court considers the promised effect to be unproven and the noise emissions caused would give cause for a closer examination - in other words: they are clearly too loud!
So the bottom line is that diesel driving bans are coming or will remain and Stuttgart is wasting 1.5 million euros in money on almost ineffective air filters. Bravo!