Hamburg will become the first German city to impose a partial ban on diesel vehicles as part of the country’s much-debated move to improve air quality.
The port city is set to block portions of two streets for older diesel cars and trucks from May 31, the local environmental agency said.
Pressure has been building on major German cities to improve their air quality, and diesel vehicles have been a key target of the authorities due to their nitrogen oxide emissions.
The reputation of diesel cars took a further hit in 2015 when car giant Volkswagen admitted it had installed software in its diesel vehicles that cheated emissions tests.
All diesel vehicles that do not meet the Euro-6 emissions standards will be affected by the Hamburg ban.
Less than a third of the diesel vehicles registered in the city at the beginning of the year meet the standard, the Federal Motor Transport Authority said.
The are exceptions to the ban however: in one of the streets affected, emergency vehicles, residents and visitors, rubbish trucks, delivery vans and taxis can all use the road.
Signs marking the restrictions and diversions have been put in the place over recent weeks in the Altona-Nord district.
The long-expected diesel bans have been closely-watched in Germany as they could carry consequences for the country’s large carmaking industry, which has relied greatly on diesel-powered vehicles.
After a long-running legal battle, cities were given the green-light to impose diesel bans by a Constitutional Court decision in February.
dpa