Switzerland also has to deal with air pollution. But it does not have to adhere to the EU's specifications. Instead, it has declared a much stricter limit value for particulate matter to be binding. It is not the European 40 µg/m³ that applies in Switzerland, but 30 µg/m³, which must be adhered to. Because this does not always work, there is an environmental zone in Geneva and the surrounding towns of Carouge, Cologny, Lancy and Vernier.
In Austria there are seven environmental zones and one noise zone. In Burgenland, Lower and Upper Austria, Styria and Vienna, the environmental zone applies to trucks only, and to all types. Whether vans, whether lorries under or over 3.5 tonnes: All truck classes, i.e. N1, N2, N3, are affected by the driving ban, at least those that do not meet Euro standard 3.
In addition to air pollution in our cities, noise pollution is also increasingly coming into focus. Austria, Switzerland and France are leading the way. In Austria's Außerfern/Tyrol, loud motorbikes were already banned last year on particularly popular routes in the Tannheimertal, Hahntennjoch and Lechtal valleys. Anyone emitting more than 95 decibels has to pay a 220 € fine.
Noise costs the French state more than 150 billion euros every year. Physical and mental illnesses, but also the depreciation of property are included here. Traffic is an immense contributor to noise. A culture of noise management should help.
Germans do not want to give up the car. More than half of them are against car-free city centres. Even among younger citizens, who tend to be more in favour of reducing car traffic, there is no majority in favour of locking out car traffic.
The mayor of Paris has been declaring war on cars for some time now. The environmental zone is becoming stricter and stricter and will soon prohibit even the newest diesel vehicles from entering. In addition, more and more car-free zones are being created and the expansion of cycle paths and footpaths is taking more and more space away from vehicles. Now almost all of Paris is to become a 30 km/h zone.
Switzerland wants to impose a driving ban on vehicles with noise levels above 95 decibels. This would affect not only motorbikes, but all types of vehicles. However, it will be some time before a possible ban comes into force. The ban has been widely criticised.
Environmental zones and driving bans exist primarily to keep air pollution, i.e. the pollutants present in the air, as low as possible. But what exactly are these pollutants and why are they so dangerous?
In Spain it has just been passed, in France the measure has existed for a long time: 30 km/h speed limit in cities and villages. Speed limits can significantly reduce the number of traffic fatalities and air pollution. The WHO is also in favour of it. In Germany, the idea falls on deaf ears.
There are environmental zones in many regions of Europe. The EU has issued a directive that obliges its member states to keep the air clean. The environmental zones were therefore introduced by the individual states to protect their citizens from exhaust fumes and bad air. Some countries reduce only particulate matter, others additionally nitrogen oxides, ozone and sulphur dioxides or noise.
