While all municipalities in Denmark have been allowed to introduce zero-emission zones from the New Year, the city government in Sweden's capital Stockholm is now being forced to abandon theirs.
Sweden's capital Stockholm had plans to introduce a zero-emission zone from New Year's, where gasoline and diesel cars would be banned.
These plans have now been put on hold by the Swedish Transport Agency with a clear no. The future of the ban on petrol and diesel cars in Stockholm is therefore uncertain.
At the end of November, the County Administrative Board stopped the new environmental zone in Stockholm city, where no cars with combustion engines were allowed to drive. Now, the Transport Agency has investigated and rejected the Stockholm Municipality's complaint, which further delays the implementation of the zone.
– This means that the municipality's environmental zone decision only applies when the matter has been finally decided by the County Administrative Board, says Magnus Sjönnebring, an investigator at the Danish Transport Agency.
It is therefore impossible for the zone to enter into force on December 31 as planned. The decision of the Danish Transport Agency raises doubts about the legal correctness of the decision of the Municipality of Stockholm.
– It is now a fact that the red-green introduction of environmental zone class three has been temporarily halted. The Danish Transport Agency's announcement is a victory for reason.
"I now demand notification that work on expanding this zone has been stopped," says Dennis Wedin (M), opposition councilor.
The Moderates are satisfied that the zone has been stopped, but the final decision has not yet been made.
– The decision to quickly and recklessly introduce the world's toughest environmental zone in the city is harmful, it would hit the traffic situation and the local business community hard.
"Now is the time for the Social Democrats to come forward on the issue. Listen to the criticism, reverse this decision, and stop treating traffic problems as an ideological playhouse," says city council member Dennis Wedin (M).
The case for the zero-emission zone in Stockholm continues, and it is unknown when or if it will come into effect. Here in Denmark, all 98 municipalities have been given permission to introduce zero-emission zones. However, the vast majority of them say no thanks in a poll.
