For many years, changes related to car traffic in big cities have been expected. The pressure on the rulers is put by residents, environmentalists and non-governmental organizations. Paid parking zones were the first step to reduce traffic on the roads in city centers. However, they turned out to be the only excellent source of income and moved from the center to further regions. For a long time, it has been proposed to link exhaust emissions with the possibility of entering specific zones in the city known as Clean Transport Zones. How will these regulations affect drivers in cars with gas installations? You can read about the current information later in the post.
What are Clean Transport Zones?
The Ministry of Climate and Environment is preparing an amendment to the act on electromobility. In its records, we can find a lot of information about clean transport zones. But what are they actually? In the simplest terms, these are the parts of the city designated by local governments where vehicles that meet certain requirements can travel. These requirements relate to the amount of exhaust gas generated by vehicles. The zones will be divided into 5 zones (red, orange, yellow, blue and green).
After the new law is passed, cities with over 100,000 inhabitants will be able to introduce clean transport zones in their area. For some time, the act contained information about the obligation to introduce such zones, but the provision was relaxed. This is a big change because it concerns as many as 37 largest cities in Poland.
The provisions of the act also include a provision that if the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection finds that the permissible NO2 standards in the air are exceeded, the city authorities will be forced to create such zones within 12 months.
Clean Transport Zone and LPG
While the very idea of reducing smog in cities is correct, because according to calculations, as many as 70% of Polish cities exceed air quality standards. Unfortunately, these changes will be felt by drivers who drive cars with LPG installations. While in the initial bills of the act, cars with LPG installation were to be allowed to enter the zones, in the latest version they lost this possibility. This met the surprise of the industry, some of which tried to influence the change of decision. Unfortunately, at the moment to no avail. However, the zones do not apply to residents of the restricted areas. However, experts estimate that they generate the majority of car traffic in these zones. Is it not only an apparent fight? Why are LPG and natural gas-powered cars on a par with old diesels, which flood our country thanks to their low price? Unfortunately, it is difficult to find answers to these questions among those responsible for the shape of the act.
Paid entry to the SCT?
The legislator also provided for the fees for the entry to the zone, which will be provided to the local government. In the case of a one-off fee, this amount will be determined by the local authorities, but may not exceed PLN 2.50 per hour and PLN 500 in the case of a subscription fee. For those who break the regulations, the legislator also provided for fines in the amount of PLN 500. A trip by a substandard car will therefore be an expensive expense. Cars are to have special stickers that will allow you to easily determine the standards they meet. Clear qualification and identification of vehicles - this can be ensured by introducing a sticker system whose color would correspond to the zone classes. The cost of such a sticker is to be PLN 5 and will fund the state budget.
However, the legislator gave municipalities great opportunities in terms of rights for residents and entrepreneurs operating within the zone:
“This includes the issue of the right of residents or entrepreneurs operating within the zone to enter, regardless of the vehicle they own. The commune may also decide on the admission to entry of vehicles that meet a specific exhaust emission standard ”.
Will there be a choice of different solutions depending on the authorities of a given city? However, we will have to wait for the answer to this question.
Summary
The ministry wants to increase the share of electric cars and those powered by alternative energy sources on Polish roads. The bill itself is intended to meet social expectations. However, is the exclusion of LPG cars, which account for almost 10% of all vehicles, out of traffic in clean transport zones a good solution? While the impact of cars with diesel engines that do not meet EURO standards is justified, the deletion of LPG cars was a great surprise for industry organizations.
