[Traffic light going from red to green]
[Public bus leaving]
[Crossway inside area where diesel and gas cars will be banned]
[Cars entering designated ban area]
[Bike on street at the border of the designated ban area]
[Pedestrian on street at the border of the designated ban area]
[Trees in park one block over from the border of the designated ban area]
[Lars Strömgren, Stockholm city council member for the Greens, walking in street]
Lars Strömgren (interview): “So the last day of December 2024 we will introduce the first phase of a zero emission zone. The reason why we are doing it is to create a better air quality in this area. Also we have found a spot for the first phase where a lot of people walk and cycle. We also want to lower the sound pollution or the sound in this area, and one other reason is also to create the right incentives for the industries and for businesses who want to continue this shift to get the right playing field for that continued shift.”
[View from a shop with greenery, large sidewalks and parked bikes]
[Streets within the designated ban area]
Lars Strömgren (interview): “So there are many cities in the world talking about air quality, and also in combination with urban quality and urban realm, more and more people are interested in spending time in the city centres and we need to attract them there, for them to want to do that. What we want to do here is to do the most advanced and progressive kind of zero emission zone and it includes cars and also transport vans and lorries.”
[Nike Örbrink, Group Leader, Christian Democratic Party, walking in city hall hallway]
Nike Örbrink (interview): “I’m really in favour of Stockholm and other capitals taking the lead role in transitioning to more green cities, meanwhile these specific policies do not lead to any positive effects. It only harms local businesses, takes police resources to enforce the ban, and also makes it more difficult for people living in the city and outside of the city that does (sic) not have or can’t afford changing vehicle.”
[Nike Örbrink talking with colleague]
Nike Örbrink (interview): “Well we are against in mainly because of three reasons: first of all because it harms local businesses, making for example deliveries more difficult and expensive, secondly because it takes a lot of police resources to enforce this ban and in times of increasing gang conflicts and violence in Stockholm it’s a very questionable prioritization of resources, and thirdly because it simply doesn’t work.”
[Cars and lorries inside the designated area]
[Pedestrian zone inside the designated area]
Andreas Pierrou (interview): “Small steps towards more clean air and better environment is positive. It will be maybe tough the first year but then people will accept it.”
[People crossing the street at the border of the designated ban area]
Margareta Leijonhufvud (interview): “Maybe it should cost to drive into the centre or something else. I think it’s cosmetic, this little area. It just will complicate things, they need to think bigger about the environment I think.”
[Truck driving by in designated ban area]
Kerstin Åkerstedt (interview): “I think it’s a good idea because we who are living in the neighbourhood think the area is a bit polluted, even though the traffic is not so bad in this centre. But still I think it’s a good idea because we need to care about the climate for the future generation, that’s my view.”
[Maria Xylia, Senior Research Fellow at SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute) walking]
Maria Xylia (interview): “We have experiences with low emission zones before, not as strict as this one but they have worked in reducing local pollution, particle emissions and everything. But we need definitely more in order to scale up the effects and succeed with the transport targets that Sweden has. That means that we need to accompany this ultra low emission zone with public transport improvement, with cycling lanes, and more ambitious measures related to parking in the inner city. So everything that is needed to remove cars from the inner city, not just replace them. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction and it means that it can stimulate the transition towards low emission and zero emission vehicles.”
[Cyclists inside the designated ban area]
[Electric scooters parked inside ban area]
[Public bus]
[View from bus of street designated ban area]
This script was provided by The Associated Press.