Stockholm has announced plans to become the first big capital city to ban petrol and diesel cars from its centre, in an effort to slash pollution and reduce noise.
From 2025, 20 blocks of Stockholm’s inner city area, spanning its finance and main shopping districts, will be restricted to electric vehicle traffic only.
Announcing the plan, Lars Stromgren, the city’s vice-mayor for transport, said: “Nowadays, the air in Stockholm causes babies to have lung conditions and the elderly to die prematurely.
Paris, Athens and Madrid have only banned diesel cars, and London has a charging scheme that covers the most polluting combustion engines.
“Many cities have implemented low-emission zones where high-emission cars are allowed to drive if they pay a charge,” Stromgren was quoted as saying by Air Quality News.
“We have chosen an area where large numbers of cyclists and pedestrians are exposed to unhealthy air on a daily basis.
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Which is why it's not only important to regulate ICEs, but also make driving cars harder, especially in urban environments. We don't just want people on to feet and bikes, but out of their cars. Bullying car brains is always good.
I'll bet that this wouldn't harm YOU, right?
Rest be assured it would only be for NOW. Your "class" is next. And suddenly you've got a new opinion.
A problem for thee but not for me.
Petrol and diesel will be phased out eventually anyway, this just punishes lower class people who cannot trade in their car (because of leases or a general lack of money).
The high-income part of the population already drives electric, making this much less of a a "Fuck cars" moment and more of a "Fuck the poor" moment.
Instead of banning petrol and diesel, how about incencitivizing electric? (Stick bad, carrot good)
There's no punishment here, no lower class person of sound mind would consider driving in this miniscule part of central Stockholm. Lower class people take public transportation or bike in this city.
I cross this area quite frequently and the most common types of vehicles I encounter are taxis and other types of commercial vehicles. The second is probably newer Volvo SUVs. Cheaper vehicles essentially do not enter this area, because there's no reason for them to do so.