CO2 Emissions

On the issue regarding the possible driving ban of diesel vehicles, the CIVD advocates for exception regulations to be made for motor caravan owners.

The discussion about possible diesel driving bans was objectified by the CIVD at the end of 2018. On the one hand, the Hessian Administrative Court in Kassel ruled in favour of the applications of the State of Hesse and the City of Frankfurt to appeal the first-instance ruling on the introduction of a zonal ban on diesel driving in Frankfurt's inner-city area. On the other hand, the out-of-court settlement reached in Darmstadt at the end of December 2018 provides for two roads to be closed to older diesel vehicles from June 2019. In addition, the current appeals against further administrative court rulings show that the complete closure of inner cities is perceived as disproportionate. Further judicial clarification remains to be seen.
On 31 January 2019, the Federal Environment Agency stated in an initial assessment for 2018 that the decline in diesel exhaust emissions is continuing. The emission reduction measures already introduced are having an effect and will lead to a further reduction in the number of affected cities. It can be assumed that the emission reduction measures already introduced (including software updates, exchange premiums, fleet renewal, retrofitting of buses and municipal vehicles) will significantly reduce the number of cities that exceed limit values and are potentially affected by driving bans in the medium term.

Exceptions for residents are a central requirement of the CIVD. In its decision of February 2018, the Federal Administrative Court stressed the principle of proportionality. Accordingly, exceptions must be provided in possible driving ban zones, e.g. for craftsmen, commuters, tourists or residents. In Stuttgart, for example, an exception concept is planned which also covers motor caravans used for holiday purposes. These pragmatic solutions are to be welcomed.

By the end of 2019, around 25% of all motor caravans should have Euro 6. Due to their long service life and robust commercial vehicle chassis, motor caravans are considerably longer in use than passenger cars, which also leads to a later Euro rating change of motor caravans. Because of the high proportion of diesel, which is currently still the only alternative for motor caravans, relatively many motor caravans are potentially affected by driving bans. According to a survey by the CIVD, only 5% of the total number of motor caravans are registered in established or imminent prohibition zones with poor Euro 5 and are therefore directly affected by driving bans. In addition, it should be borne in mind that almost all motor caravan owners do not visit city centres with prohibited zones on their holiday trips, as almost all motor caravan pitches are located outside these areas. Therefore, the euro classification is of little importance for most motor caravans. An exception are residents living in possible no-driving zones, for whom the CIVD requires an exceptional regulation.

 

 

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