BERLIN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- German cities have refused to stop imposing driving bans on diesel vehicles before automotive industry representatives meet with government officials for the "diesel summit" on Wednesday.
Evan Lohns, president of the association of German cities (Staedtetag), said that municipal authorities wanted to protect the health of their citizens and avoid bans if possible.
"Whether software updates will suffice or older diesel vehicles will require new hardware such as filter systems...will depend on how much nitrogen oxide levels can be lowered," she said.
Should no progress be made in this fashion and courts order driving bans for individual cities, then the latter would need "blue placards to distinguish clean cars from other (cars)."
Several municipal governments, including the city governments of Munich and Hamburg, have been evaluating the possibility of introducing these so-called "blue placards" which would effectively amount to driving bans for some vehicles in the city. The placards would be needed for vehicles to gain access to heavily-congested inner cities and would only be granted to those with relatively low emission levels.
Lohns emphasized that cities required "binding commitments" from the auto industry on how to reduce air pollution caused by diesel vehicles in cities. Older diesel-powered vehicles are responsible for the bulk of nitrogen oxide emissions in urban areas that are related to a range of respiratory diseases.
"The Association of German Cities is coming to the diesel summit with the clear expectation that the automotive industry will present a solution and offer funds for their implementation," Lohns added.
The Association of German Cities is attending Wednesday's summit to represent the interests of communal and municipal authorities in Germany.
