City of Amsterdam to ban polluting cars by 2030

Gasoline- and diesel-fuelled cars and motorcycles will be banned from Amsterdam by 2030 in an effort to clean up the city's air, the Dutch capital's council said Thursday.

"Pollution often is a silent killer and is one of the greatest health hazards in Amsterdam," said the city's traffic councillor, Sharon Dijksma.

Despite the widespread use of bicycles by many Dutch, air pollution in the Netherlands is worse than European rules permit, due mainly to heavy traffic in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The Health Ministry has warned that current levels of nitrogen dioxide and particle matter emissions can lead to respiratory illnesses, with chronic exposure shortening life expectancy by more than a year.

Amsterdam said it plans to replace all gasoline and diesel engines with emission-free alternatives, such as electric and hydrogen cars, by the end of the next decade.

The city will start next year by banning diesel cars built before 2005, and will gradually expand the range of vehicles that are barred.

The city said it will use subsidies and parking permits to motivate people to switch to cleaner cars.