The Czech government approved rules for the creation of low emission zones in cities, opening way for the municipalities to ban high emission vehicles from cities beginning in 2014. “We want municipalities to have broader powers and to be able to make a decision on what conditions to choose,” said the Environment Minister Tomáš Chalupa.
The local governments would have the right to define the size of the zones and to choose which categories of vehicles would be allowed to enter them. The municipalities will also be able to grant exceptions, Chalupa said.
Four emission categories have been introduced for vehicles with oil engines, two categories for cars with petrol engines and three emission categories for motorcycles. Electric cars and fuel cell cars are automatically ranked in the highest category.
