Oslo City Council proposes fee up to 50,000 for trucks

Lan Marie Nguyen BergOSLO.Lan Marie Nguyen Berg ( The Green Party).Photo : Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Oslo City Council proposes fee up to 50,000 for trucks and lorries

The Oslo City Council is proposing that polluting heavy vehicles must pay up to 50,000 kroner to drive in certain parts of the city.

 

According to NRK news, the City Environment Agency in Oslo have sent the proposal for consultation. The plan involves the creation of ‘low-emission zones’. Polluters must pay a fee via an app, online, or at vending machines, in order to drive within these zones.

A daily price of NOK 300, and an annual price of NOK 25,000 for lorries under 12 tonnes are suggested. For vehicles over 12 tonnes, the price will be double. Newer vehicles, with low emissions, will not pay the fees.

‘The city council puts people’s health first, and we have big problems with bad air in Oslo. It’s the heavy vehicles with older engines that pollute the worst, so we begin with them,’ said Environment and Transport Councillor, Lan Marie Berg of the Green Party (MDG).

Low emission zones

According to the Local Environment Authority, there are 20,000 heavy vehicles registered in Oslo and Akershus which are likely to be charged a fee. The goal is to put the low-emission zones in place already by winter.

‘We are sceptical about this type of fee as a traffic control measure. Our members don’t drive for fun, but to deliver goods to stores,’ said Knut Gravråk, an adviser from the Norwegian Trucking Association.

The fees in the low-emission zones have been proposed in addition to environmentally differentiated prices at road toll booths.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today