Clean transport zones would be created in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. inhabitants if the permissible level of nitrogen dioxide in the air there is exceeded. Currently, this would apply to four cities: WarsawKraków, Wrocław and Katowice.
Obligation to create clean transport zones in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. inhabitants
“The analysis of data provided by the Department of Environmental Monitoring of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection shows that in 2022, the average annual permissible level of NO2 was exceeded in 4 zones where air quality is assessed, i.e. in the Warsaw agglomeration (capital city of Warsaw) , the Krakow agglomeration (city of Kraków), the Wrocław agglomeration (city of Wrocław) and the Upper Silesian agglomeration (city of Katowice)” – indicated in the latest Regulatory Impact Assessment of the project cited by Polish Press Agency. The OSR noted, among others: note that the number of cities to which the regulations on the introduction of clean transport zones will apply has not changed in recent years. If the air quality assessment covers more than one city with over 100,000 inhabitants, inhabitants within the zone, the obligation to create a clean transport zone will apply only to the city in which the exceedance was recorded. The new regulations will also introduce an obligation for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants to purchase inhabitants, zero-emission buses for public transport purposes.
“Military obligations” in the new regulations
There are, however, exceptions to this rule. This is to be the case with public transport that goes beyond the boundaries of the local government, “where the number of inhabitants is higher than 100,000, or if the transport is carried out in several communes, each of which has less than 100,000 inhabitants.” It also mentions a fleet of buses, which will potentially consist of internal combustion or hybrid buses, which “in the event of an emergency, will be able to fulfill militarization obligations.” “The analyzed data clearly indicate that the implementation of ongoing and planned investments in the fleet will not be enough to achieve the threshold of 30% of zero-emission buses or buses powered by natural gas derived from biomethane by 2028 in the fleets of the surveyed local governments. It should be noted that the current level is 10% (target 30% in 2028) the threshold for the share of ecological buses in the provision of public transport services is met by the largest cities,” the OSR emphasized. The document added that over 30 percent municipalities covered by the requirements of the Electromobility Act do not use a single biomethane-powered or zero-emission bus when providing public transport services. However, some regulations regarding electromobility will be repealed. These are those that impose on local governments with more than 50,000 inhabitants “the obligation to perform and commission the performance of public tasks, ensuring an appropriate share of electric or natural gas-powered vehicles.” It was also emphasized that the new regulations are also intended to implement reforms related to the National Reconstruction Plan.