The capital’s councilors adopted a resolution on the introduction of a clean transport zone in Warsaw. Rafał Trzaskowski does not hide his satisfaction about this.
“The resolution on the Clean Transport Zone has been passed. I would like to thank @warszawa councilors for adopting this important project. It is a step towards cleaner air in the capital, a healthier city, and ultimately an important decision in the context of the fight for EU funds from #KPO,” Trzaskowski wrote on the website X
37 council members voted in favor of the resolution, 16 were against and 2 abstained.
A stormy debate
The vote was preceded by a heated debate. Vice President of Warsaw Michał Olszewski, who presented the project at a meeting of the Warsaw Council, was outvoted by opponents of the capital’s clean transport zone. The demonstrators shouted “no to SCT”, “referendum”, “down with Trzaskowski’s communism”. The President of the Warsaw Council, Ewa Malinowska-Grupińska, had to order a five-minute break during the Vice President’s speech.
Clean transportation zone
According to the capital’s portal, the Clean Transport Zone (SCT) is a separate, appropriately marked area, including roads on which only vehicles meeting appropriate exhaust emission standards are allowed to travel. This is a method that has been used in Europe for years to improve air quality in cities and care for the health of their inhabitants.
Warsaw authorities have divided the process of introducing restrictions on petrol vehicles into five stages. In the first, to be introduced in July 2024, petrol cars produced before 1997 and diesel cars produced before 2006 will not be able to enter the zone. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
According to the project presented in November 2023, Warsaw’s Clean Transport Zone will cover: the entire districts of Śródmieście, Żoliborz and Praga Północ; almost all of Ochota (part of the Reduta shopping center, ul. Mszczonówcka and Dworzec Zachodni remain outside the SCT) and Praga Południe (Olszynka Grochowska remains outside the SCT: an uninhabited part of the train station and a nature reserve); most of Mokotów (Sadyba, Stegny, Augustówka and part of Służewiec remain outside the SCT); about half of Wola (to al. Prymasa Tysiąclecia).
Special traffic signs are placed at the boundaries of the zone. There will be no barriers at the entrance, but there will be cameras that read the license plates of incoming vehicles. The fine for entering the zone with an inappropriate car is PLN 500.
Source: Do Rzeczy
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