The university city in Middle Franconia has been offering free public transport in the city centre since the turn of the year. A new bus route and the switch to e-buses are also part of the pilot project. Erlangen wants to reduce the number of cars, make public transport more attractive and improve air quality. This would enable the city to avoid the threat of driving bans in view of the EU's new air pollution limits.
Every year: New Year's Day, the day when the smell of sulphur is still in the air and grey smears cover the sky. Rubbish and soot everywhere on the streets, damaged cars here and there.
It was supposed to be a revolution in the car industry, a turning point for the environment and a triumph for all drivers: the airless tyre. But now the tyre dream has been shattered. A bitter setback, not only for the manufacturer Michelin, but also for the environment and us motorists.
It sounds like the forward-looking answer to urban transport problems: The first trackless tram in Australia. However, if you take a closer look at the facts, it quickly becomes clear that this is not the hoped-for revolution in local transport, but rather harbours a potential environmental problem.
Paris and several other European metropolises have submitted a petition to the EU Parliament in which they rail against the planned Euro 7 standard. In its weakened form, it is a bitter setback, even a "licence to kill". The manufacturers should not be given a raw deal - after all, human lives are at stake.
The capital of Bulgaria has the highest air pollution in Europe. The values for fine dust are 6 times higher than recommended by the WHO. The reason for the dirty air is, among other things, old diesel from Western Europe. And the lack of an environmental zone!
More and more environmental zones are being abolished in Germany. This is now also the case in Baden-Württemberg in the south-west of the Federal Republic. The administration in Stuttgart wants to abolish 5 low emission zones from January 2024. The reason is the improved air quality. A dangerous step for the health of the residents.
On Wednesday, 13.09.2023, the EU Commission voted in favour of adjusting the limit values for air pollutants. This means that the permissible limit values will be significantly lowered from 2035. This change will have far-reaching consequences for transport and air pollution control in cities across the EU. We took a closer look.
Since the beginning of 2020, many trucks are no longer allowed to drive through Tyrol in Austria, even though they comply with the latest Euro standard. However, vehicles travelling to and from Tyrol are not affected by the ban. This is unequal treatment, for which Italy now wants to take legal action.
The permitted values for particulate matter and nitrogen oxide are to be adjusted to the latest limit values of the WHO. These are many times lower than current EU standards. The cities must make massive improvements and take measures in the next few years. Otherwise, the EU could soon be plastered with environmental zones.
