Stockholm is set to introduce the environmental zone class 3 to reduce car emissions and improve air quality in the capital.
Environmental zone class 3 imposes the strictest regulations on the vehicles permitted to drive within the zone. Only certain types of vehicles are allowed to enter the zone — electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, light and heavy gas vehicles and heavy plug-in hybrids that meet the Euro 6 emission standards.
“The air quality in Stockholm has improved over time. It’s not a coincidence. It’s mainly due to measures taken in traffic,” said Stockholm’s climate and environment councilor, Åsa Lindhagen, to Dagens Nyheter.
“However, it’s still a serious problem. A thousand Stockholmers die prematurely each year due to air pollution.”
The government will be conducting an assessment of the plan in 2023. The environmental zone class 3 will commence in some parts of the city in 2024, with full implementation expected to be completed by 2026.
Diesel and petrol cars will be prohibited in Gamla Stan and specific areas of Norrmalm in the Swedish capital starting next year. The regulations will apply to both private and commercial vehicles.
“It will apply to commercial traffic and goods transport. They are covered by environmental zones according to the law. What we are currently investigating is where the boundaries will be drawn,” Lindhagen said.
Lindhagen also highlighted that the purpose of the environmental zone is not to reduce traffic volume but rather to reduce emissions. She also mentioned other measures to reduce traffic flows, such as investing two billion in improving pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation infrastructure.
Per Dagens Nyheter, road traffic was fairly normal in 2022 compared to previous years, although traffic volume did not quite reach pre-COVID-19 levels. The red-green coalition in the City Hall has set a goal to reduce car traffic by 30 percent by 2030.