European Commission is not preparing a ban on cars in city centres
March 28, 2011
Contrary to comments made by a government Minister today, the European Commission is not considering an EU level ban on cars in city centres by 2050. Cities are of course best placed to decide their own transport mix.
Today’s Transport White Paper acknowledges that many European cities are struggling with the challenges of congestion, noise pollution, traffic jams and so on. Something needs to be done and phasing out conventional combustion engines is a realistic objective. The role of the European level is to help the shift to alternative forms of transport take place, and make them more attractive to users.
No one city or even country can act alone to bring on stream the technologies needed to tackle the challenges of transport in Europe’s cities. That is where action at European level can help. But a blanket ban on conventional cars is not on the table.
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The Transport White Paper says, in Section 2.5 (1):
Halve the use of conventionally-fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030; phase them out in cities by 2050; achieve essentially CO2-free city logistics in major urban centres by 2030.
If this is not a proposal to ban conventionally-fuelled cars from city centres by 2050, then what the devil is it?
Still no “moderation”? Or are the anti-EU press right? Or does Section 2.5 (1) not mean what it says? Or have the Press Office misunderstood the meaning of Section 2.5. (1).
As I am EU supporter, can you please clarify the situation.
There is no proposal in the Transport White Paper to ban cars from city centres. The Commission has no prerogative on this and is not seeking one. However, transport is over dependent on fossil fuels which is unsustainable. The Commission looks to facilitate a switch to greener vehicles by for example supporting research in new technologies and the building of necessary infrastructure, by promoting alternative ways of transport and by fiscal incentives for urban mobility plans on voluntary basis.