Hanover is not a beautiful village with jute sacks after all

The state capital of Lower Saxony, Hanover, has abolished the low emission zone for the city center after 16 years. The Greens' attempts to implement a car-free city center without a low emission zone in the committees on the air pollution control plan also failed. Pithy words were used that currently make it impossible for the Greens to return to the old policy of rigorously closing an entire city center to cars against the SPD, CDU and FDP.

Since the council alliance between the SPD and the Greens with the Green mayor Enit Onay broke down over traffic planning at the end of November, there has been a strong majority on the city council who believe that Hanover has long been too critical of cars. The politicians saw the head of the environment department as having a party-political attitude. The Lord Mayor even wanted to "push through his car-free city center behind the backs of the citizens via the air pollution control plan". The strongest words in the meeting came from FDP parliamentary group leader Wilfried Engelke: "They want to turn Hanover into a beautiful village with jute sacks."

The initiative for an environmental zone originated from the Hanoverian association with the grandiose name "Deutsch Umwelthilfe", which successfully worked its way up to an official activist group with this initiative. Their greatest success was to turn the original "fine dust sticker" into something more. The Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony helped in 2015. Hanover had filed a lawsuit against the justification for the low emission zone based on particulate matter, because experts agreed that such a zone made little sense. However, the Higher Administrative Court redefined particulate matter as nitrogen dioxide on its own initiative and the Hanoverian association was now able to announce that it would rap the municipalities on the knuckles when implementing the low emission zones.

In one fell swoop, owners of cars that were not brand new lost many thousands in the value of their vehicles - private individuals, tradesmen and small businesses. Commuters fared no better. They all still need an environmental badge today, even though their old cars have long since ended up somewhere else since 2014 and only green badges are issued anyway.

This ritual is completely pointless for battery-powered cars. They also need the green sticker today. If it is missing, a fine is due. Hanover is now the first major German city to return to a path in which traffic planning is based on mutual respect and common goals without ideology. (aum)