Faced with unmanageable traffic and health-threatening air quality, hundreds of cities across Europe are adopting measures to reduce the number of vehicles clogging their streets, with the aim of lowering air pollution levels and improving the quality of life for people who live and work there. Most are doing this by introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in their city centres.
Prominent schemes include those in Berlin, London, Milan and Stockholm, though their approaches vary – some cities are restricting the types of vehicles allowed to circulate, while others allow staggered access based on criteria such as license plate number, or require drivers to pay “congestion charges” to enter some parts of the city.
