Oslo Becomes Latest City to Implement Car Ban

Oslo, the Norwegian capital long known for its environmentalism and forward-thinking practices, has moved to ban all diesel cars from the city centre for two days this week. Coming into effect on Tuesday, the ban was lifted yesterday as air quality conditions improved as expected.

Though it did not apply to vehicles using the motorways which criss-cross over the top of the capital, any motorist found flouting the rules on the city streets was subject to a hefty fine of 1,500kr (£144).

Diesel – the hero turned villain

Back in 2006, the then Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg encouraged Norwegian citizens to invest in diesel engines over their petrol counterparts, since the former emits less carbon dioxide (CO2) than the latter.

However, it has since come to light that diesel engines are far more dangerous in terms of the amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) they produce, which in itself is a very harmful contaminant and is thought to be one of the chief contributors to the 185 premature deaths caused by air pollution in the Norwegian capital each year.

In fact, it has recently been discovered that 90% of all new diesel cars in Europe emit illegal levels of pollution, with the Volkswagen scandal bringing this startling revelation to the fore. In response to recent spikes in poor air quality, the city council has moved to bring in the ban.

Oslo the latest city to address traffic-related pollution

 The measure was agreed upon last February by the council (composed of a coalition of Labour and Green MPs) to be used in instances of high pollution and it’s the first time they have seen fit to roll it out.

“In Oslo, we can’t ask children, the elderly, and those suffering from respiratory problems to remain holed up at home because the air is too dangerous to breathe,” explained Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, a councillor for the Green Party.

The Norwegian measure might differ from some others implemented by nations elsewhere in Europe, but it’s not the first to address pollution issues by prohibiting vehicular access into the city centre. In March 2014, Paris implemented a partial driving ban in the city centre by restricting access only to those with odd- or even-numbered license plates on alternating days.

Meanwhile, Berlin has long had a traffic control system in place to address entry into the city on days when pollution is particularly bad.

Citizens upset by U-turn

Though there has been considerable support for the measure, there has also been no little amount of outrage at the decision to ban vehicles that were explicitly recommended by the government only 10 years previous.

In particular, opposition parties have capitalised upon the apparent contradiction in terms, with the right-wing populist Progress Party outspoken in their condemnation of the initiative.

“The biggest swindle of Norwegian motorists has now become a reality. This was part of the red-green government’s [Stoltenberg’s coalition’s] ingenious climate measures,” criticised Mazyar Keshvari, a Progress MP. “Not only did they recommend motorists to buy diesel cars, they also changed the taxes to make them less expensive. That led a lot of people buying a car that they can’t use now.”