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Wiesbaden (dpa / lhe) - Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Greens) wants to keep the pressure high in the struggle for cleaner air in Hesse's cities.
"With the air pollution control plans we ensure that the air quality in the cities improves," said Hinz of the German press agency about the measures introduced.
Protecting the health of citizens has top priority.
The cities would also become more attractive with more buses, more bike paths and more local public transport.
"If we manage to reduce car traffic with such incentives, we don't need any bans."
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) sued the state because the limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were not complied with in several Hessian cities.
As a result, Darmstadt has so far been the only city in the country to react with driving bans.
Old diesels and petrol were banned from two major roads.
In Hesse's largest city, Frankfurt, there is a risk of driving bans on individual streets from next year.
Diesel engines are the main cause of harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions.
The environment minister said the corona pandemic had reduced traffic.
Many people have switched to bicycles.
Working from home also helps improve the air.
"If we can reduce traffic in this way in the future, we will emerge stronger from the pandemic," said Hinz.
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The environmental aid, however, asked the country to make improvements.
The traffic turnaround must be lived with more seriousness, said managing director Jürgen Resch of the German press agency.
The big cities, which had problems with air pollution control, suffocated from car traffic.
Both the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transport - both under green leadership - should play a greater role here.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the following measures have been initiated:
- In FRANKFURT the limit value is exceeded in numerous places.
The administrative court in Kassel (VGH) has obliged the state to update the clean air plan and to ensure compliance by 2021.
The plan comes into effect on the New Year.
In addition to a speed limit, bus lanes, bike paths and the expansion of local public transport, small-scale driving prohibition zones must be set up within the system ring - if the measured values are above the limit value in spring.
The DUH criticizes the very high pollution of the air with pollutants and describes the measures as hesitant and ambitious.
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- The clean air plan for OFFENBACH came into force in autumn.
The update had become necessary because in 2019 two of the four measuring points still showed exceedances.
With the help of the measures, the limit values could be complied with promptly, explains the state.
The DUH criticizes that the measures are sewn to the edge and precisely aimed at complying with the current limit value.
Forward-looking policy looks different.
- In LIMBURG, the annual mean value of nitrogen dioxide in 2019 was 52.1 micrograms per cubic meter - 40 micrograms are allowed.
The cause is a lot of through traffic, which makes it difficult to develop effective measures.
According to the Ministry's assessment, a truck traffic ban is not feasible.
Route-related driving bans are also difficult because there are no alternative routes.
According to the city, the limit values are currently not being complied with at three measuring points.
In addition to a Green City Plan, the city has now also drawn up a Mobility Master Plan.
Further measures are being examined, including a general speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour.
The hearing at the Administrative Court is scheduled for February, as DUH boss Resch reports.
“The package of measures available so far is completely ambitious,” says Resch.
The car is above all, the fast passage is the main interest.
"Here I would very much like to see a catalog of measures presented by the state government before the court hearing, which is then suitable to ensure compliance with the values."
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- In WIESBADEN, an agreement with the DUH prevented driving bans.
The limit value in 2020 can presumably be complied with at all measuring locations.
Those responsible in the state capital assume that this can also succeed in the next and subsequent years.
The DUH criticizes delays in the planned measures, for example with e-buses for public transport.
"The limit value must also be complied with if normal traffic occurs after the lockdown," says Managing Director Resch.
- In DARMSTADT in southern Hesse, a measurement location on Hügelstrasse still shows elevated values, according to the Ministry of the Environment.
A lifting of the driving bans is therefore not yet in sight, according to the city.
In general, Darmstadt sees itself on the right path.
Here, too, the DUH calls for further measures to ensure that the limit values are observed.
- In KASSEL and BENSHEIM, new air pollution control plans came into force in June and November 2019, despite compliance with limit values.
In FULDA, RÜSSELSHEIM and MARBURG the limit values are observed.
Clean air plans