Environment zone Rotterdam introduces adjustment premium old car

The municipality of Rotterdam makes money available to provide older cars with environmentally friendly adjustments. One has to think of the installation of a catalyst. Placing an electric motor is also mentioned. The cars can thus be made suitable for the Rotterdam environmental zone.

The Rotterdam environmental zone took effect last year. Petrol cars from before 1992 or diesels with a construction year for 2002 may not enter this zone. In return, the municipality of Rotterdam made the scrapping premium of between 1.000 and 2.500 euros available. 5.000 Rotterdam residents have now made use of this scheme, which is likely to be extended.

Alternative to scrapping premium

As an alternative to this premium, motorists who would like to continue to drive their older car can request 50 percent of the adjustment costs from the municipality. There is a maximum to the reimbursement: owners are eligible for a maximum of € 750. In total, the municipality of 75.000 is allocating euros for this scheme. Car owners can still claim this until June next year.

Arguments

The council of the municipality of Rotterdam suggested last year to investigate the feasibility of the alternative. The argumentation focused on the costs ("adjusting more economically than demolishing") and the sustainability of the measure.

BOVAG statement sufficient for exemption

D'66 alderman Pex Langenberg indicated at the time that they were concerned about enforcement. The cameras can easily determine the age and fuel of a car via the license plate. Whether the car has been modified is more difficult to assess. There is now a solution for that. To be admitted to the Rotterdam environmental zone with a modified car, the driver must apply for a long-term exemption. The costs for this are 178 euros. "With an exemption, the license plate number is included in the system and the driver does not get any fines," assures the Langenberg spokesperson. To apply for the exemption, a statement from a BOVAG garage is required.

Less chance of scrapping old car

Whether the provision of means for adjustment is a desirable solution may be doubted. Of course it is to be praised that an alternative to the scrapping premium has been found. However, the proportion of cars withdrawn within the Rotterdam environmental zone is negligible, while the traffic intensity in the vicinity and within the Rotterdam environmental zone has increased. In addition, an adjustment such as a catalyst - due to the high degree of combustion - is the cause of a higher NoX concentration. The question is therefore whether the € 75.000 allocated is well spent. In any case, it offers one advantage: older cars will now be demolished to a lesser extent and thus retained for the fleet.

Source: Algemeen Dagblad
Edited: Auto Motor Klassiek