Traffic in Ruoholahti, Helsinki, on 2 March 2023. Political parties in the Finnish capital are divided over the possibility of banning the use of diesel and petrol cars in the city centre, similarly to a plan that is to be implemented in Stockholm in 2024. (Heikki Saukkomaa – Lehtikuva)
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POLITICAL PARTIES in Helsinki are divided over the idea of prohibiting the use of diesel and petrol cars in downtown areas, reports Helsingin Sanomat.
Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Anni Sinnemäki (Greens) stated to Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that the Finnish capital could feasibly create a zone where the use of diesel and petrol cars is prohibited, similarly to what is on the drawing board in Stockholm.
Stockholm is set to establish a low-emission zone consisting of 20 blocks that is only accessible to electric and low-emission vehicles at the start of 2025. The zone will be enforced around the clock every day of the week, with a violation resulting in a fine of 85 Swedish krona, according to the newspaper.
“I don’t see why this kind of thing couldn’t work in Helsinki,” remarked Sinnemäki.
The City of Helsinki has struggled to achieve its emission reduction goals. Transport emissions are presently on track to decline by 39 per cent by the end of the decade, well short of the target of 69 per cent. Calculations, in fact, indicate that the current measures would not suffice to reach the target even by 2040.
The city is weighing up the possibility of setting up a low-emission zone as part of an analysis of additional emission reduction measures.
“The situation is looking very bleak when it comes to the target, and the city must resort to all measures at its disposal without delay in order to reach the goal,” Kaisa-Reeta Koskinen, the project director for the emission reduction plan, conceded already in 2022.
The idea of zones where combustion-engine vehicles are banned was shot down by Daniel Sazonov (NCP), the deputy mayor for social services and health care at the City of Helsinki.
“The proposal for zones where combustion-engine vehicles are completely prohibited is detached from reality. The city and state must create the preconditions for electrifying the vehicle stock before even considering any kind of restrictions,” he argued in an e-mail to Helsingin Sanomat.
He reminded that promoting electric road traffic is a goal that is shared by all parties. Helsinki, he suggested, should draft a three-year investment plan to promote the development of charging infrastructure particularly in downtown areas.
Olli-Pekka Koljonen (SDP), a deputy member of the Urban Environment Committee, said it is premature to comment on the idea. He estimated that the city should focus on the most effective measures in its bid to reduce emissions, such as improving the appeal of public transport and promoting the renewal of the vehicle stock in a way that increases the number of low-emission vehicles.
A ban on combustion-engine vehicles could also have socio-economic effects, he reminded, with residents who cannot afford to switch to an electric vehicle affected the most.
Koljonen also called attention to the fact that electric vehicles make up a larger share of the vehicle stock in Norway and Sweden than in Finland.
In Helsinki, electric vehicles made up 11.4 per cent of cars in use in 2022, signalling an increase of three points from the previous year. The proportion should be raised to at least 30 per cent in order to reach the emission reduction target for 2030.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
