Another Danish city has joined the chorus that wants to ban diesel cars from the city. In Odense, it will go beyond the oldest diesel-powered passenger cars.
This already applies to vans and buses. But now Odense will be able to banish the oldest diesel-powered passenger cars from the city. On Wednesday this week, the politicians in the city's Urban and Culture Committee decided that diesel cars must be equipped with a particulate filter in order to be allowed to travel in the city's environmental zone. The requirement applies to all diesel cars registered for 2011, and the rule has been adopted with support from both political sides. A particulate filter can easily cost DKK 10,000 to retrofit. But it is apparently not something that causes greater concern among the politicians in the country's third largest city. Of the 85,000 passenger cars driving around Odense, the new rule will mean that 1,800 car owners will have to invest in a particle filter. To the Fyens Stiftstidende, City and culture councilor Soren Windell (K) acknowledges that it is a large bill. But he says at the same time that he would rather see the cars scrapped. – I think they should go away completely, he says to the newspaper. The fact that some motorists might end up paying extremely expensive fines for the new rule apparently means little. – We can't get everything we want, and low-income groups can get subsidies of up to DKK 2,000 for a particle filter. However, the city council politicians in Odense are not done bothering motorists for that reason. Because just like in Copenhagen, the politicians in Funen want the speed down. This is what people think on both sides of the city council, writes the newspaper.
