The Netherlands' highest administrative court ruled on Wednesday that petrol cars from before July 1, 1992 are allowed to be banned from Rotterdam's city center, overruling a previous court decision, local media said.
The Council of State (RvS) decided that the municipality might maintain the environmental zone again in the center and north of the city, NU.nl reported. The low-emission zone was introduced in 2007 to improve air quality.
According to the report, in 2015, the municipality of Rotterdam decided to expand the environmental zone, banning diesel vans and cars from before 2001 and petrol vans and cars from before July 1, 1992 from entering the city center.
Fourteen stakeholders went to court to challenge the decision, saying the municipality failed to sufficiently take into account the interests of a small group of people who owned old petrol cars.
Studies show that only 0.14 percent of the total traffic consists of these cars, and according to the court, the environmental yield was negligible, NU.nl said.
The Rotterdam City Council appealed against the ruling, and the RvS ruled that extending the environmental zone was part of a larger package of measures that should improve the air quality in Rotterdam.
According to the RvS, it does not matter if the decision concerns only a small group of cars.
-No fines
The municipality of Rotterdam will not fine people who are driving a pre-1992 petrol car in the environmental zone, NU.nl said.
According to Rotterdam traffic alderman Adriaan Visser, the ruling of the Council of State is a confirmation of the policy to improve the air quality in the city center.
"It is important to carefully examine the judgment first and to map out the consequences, and the municipal executive will inform the council and all those involved as soon as possible," he said.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency