In a press release confirming the decision, Stockholm City Council said that the change will take place in stages starting on 31 December 2024.
The zone, named ‘environmental zone class 3′, will be introduced in an area within the streets of Kungsgatan, Birger Jarlsgatan, Hamngatan and Sveavägen. The entrance and exit of the Klara Tunnel at Mäster Samuelsgatan will also be part of the zone, which covers approximately 180,000 square metres.
“As a general rule, the environmental zone only allows electric vehicles and low-emission gas vehicles. Low-emission plug-in hybrids are also permitted for heavy goods traffic. The regulation applies 24/7,” explains Stockholm City Council.
The only exceptions are as follows:
- vehicles used by the police and emergency services
- cars with a driver or passenger who is disabled and has a parking permit for the disabled
Stockholm City Council argues that the zone is required on health grounds due to the pollution caused by vehicle emissions.
According to Stockholm’s city authorities, several real estate owners and transporters operating in the zone have already been involved in the Vinnova project, which is focused on sustainable deliveries. The city states that electric-powered transport is quieter and therefore opens up the possibility of round-the-clock deliveries too.
“In order for us to deal with the air in Stockholm, electrification needs to go faster. Electric vehicles also contribute to lower climate emissions and less noise, which means that more deliveries can be made at night. It reduces congestion on the roads in the inner city,” says Lars Strömgren (MP), traffic councillor for the City of Stockholm.
In the middle of 2025, a decision will be made on whether to expand the zone further.
In response to the news, Tina Thorsell, director of social policy at Transportföretagen, a Swedish haulage association, said the zone has being introduced to quickly:
“The Swedish transport sector is one of the cleanest in the world and is restructuring at full speed. Since 2010, we have reduced emissions by 34 percent. But the Green Party and their colleagues in the city of Stockholm are now in far too much of a hurry.”
Thorsell added: “What we need is not political squeamishness, but continued investment in electricity infrastructure, and a pledge that the public sector will only buy green transport.”
The haulage association social policy director also stressed that a majority of Swedish hauliers feel their customers are not willing to pay extra for sustainable transport solutions.
Photo: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons