Germany is now in the second phase of prohibiting older higher polluting cars from city centres. As a road user in Germany you are already charged a higher insurance premium for owning older models but now you will be victimised a second time by driving your car into certain city centres. The scheme introduces three badges at a 18 € plus costs that depends on the age of your car, four being the healthest and one not even getting a badge, an instant ban and a park and ride ticket!
With further talk of a nation wide speed limit (most countryside autobahns are speed limit free) coming in further years, the ultra fast driving utopia is almost over!
An explanatory Umwelt Plakette site reads:
Already from March 1, 2007 onwards, vehicle restrictions in environmental green zones can be issued in cities and local districts in Germany. Therefore the respective zones were specially marked as being green zones by the city or municipality. The first environmental green zones are coming into force as of January 1, 2008 in the cities Berlin, Cologne, and Hanover. As from this date on german as well as foreign vehiceles are no longer permitted to enter these zones without the environmental badge.
More information can be found on the website of the city of Cologne/Köln.
Contributed by Pete Serjeant
