Councilor Barker: “Phasing out polluting vehicles is a great boost for the
air quality in The Hague”

After a six-month warning period, owners of commercial vehicles that do not yet comply with the new requirements have been fined since July. Most entrepreneurs comply with the new rules, as recent figures show. To assist entrepreneurs who still need to make the transition, they can apply for a subsidy from the municipality starting October 1. This is a compensation for scrapping polluting vehicles.
Councilor Robert Barker (Public Space, Environment) on the new rules in the center:
“Less than 1 percent of the vehicles currently operating in the zero-emission zone are breaking the rules. This shows that many entrepreneurs have prepared well for the implementation. Phasing out polluting vehicles is a great boost for the
air quality in The Hague.”

Few Violations

Since July, there are significantly fewer polluting vehicles in the zero-emission zone. Only
0.93% of all vans in the zone are violating the rules. This concerns vans with emission class 0 to 4 without exemptions. In July, the number of violations further decreased, by half. For trucks (emission class 0-6 from before 2017), the effect of the zero-emission zone is even greater.
The number of trips by unauthorized trucks changed from 9.97% (in January) to 1.48% (in July). Furthermore, the number of violations decreased from 2,348 unique vans and trucks (during the warning period) to only 1,026 unique vehicles (in July).

Scrapping Scheme Reopened on October 1

In addition to The Hague, there are 17 zero-emission zones in the Netherlands. More will follow in the coming years. The zone in The Hague will also be expanded next year to the coastal strip. To help entrepreneurs in the city prepare for this, the municipality is reopening the scrapping scheme. Following the success of previous rounds, this time 1.5 million is available for scrapping polluting (commercial) vehicles. For a scrapped vehicle, an entrepreneur receives 3,500 euros.

From October 1, entrepreneurs can apply for a subsidy again: Apply for scrapping old vans – The Hague

More Information

All information about the rules, exemptions, and possibilities for transitioning to clean urban logistics in The Hague can be found at www.logistiek070.com.