Small businesses fear impact of Germany’s looming diesel driving bans

The possible diesel driving ban in Germany’s inner cities poses a major threat to many small and medium-sized businesses that use cars with the contested engine technology in their everyday work, Georg Berger writes on Welt Online. “If there was a driving ban for the entire city now, we could only keep one store in operation and would go bankrupt soon,” says baker Jörg Sailer, from Stuttgart, home of carmaker Daimler and one of Germany’s cities with the highest level of air pollution. “Millions of car owners feel like Sailer now,” Berger writes, arguing that people do not know whether they can keep their business running or reach their workplace by car any longer. The court which ruled that diesel bans are admissible added that there have to be exceptions for craftsmen and small businesses, but it is unclear how bureaucratic and reliable the issuing of permits is going to be, Berger says.  “A solution could be to retrofit the vehicles,” he adds.

Read the article in German here (paywall).

See the CLEW factsheet Diesel driving bans in Germany – The Q & A for background.