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Belgian city of Antwerp plans daily charge for most-polluting cars

Xinhua, January 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Belgium's second biggest city, Antwerp, has announced it will introduce a daily charge from 2017 for the most polluting cars, local media reported on Wednesday.

The fee, from Feb. 1, 2017, will be 20 euros (about 21.50 U.S. dollars) per day or 350 euros (about 378 U.S. dollars) per year, the Gazet van Antwerpen said.

According to the newspaper, authorities in the north Belgian city estimate that between 8,000 and 9,000 of the 75,000 cars that enter central Antwerp each day are too old and polluting. The scheme will create Belgium's first low-emissions zone.

Diesel cars that meet the Euro 3 emission standard, introduced in 2000, will be required to pay the daily or annual charge, but discounts are offered to people on low incomes and city residents.

Diesel cars more than 15 years old will be banned outright, as will diesel vehicles more than 10 years old that do not have a particulate filter, the Gazet van Antwerpen added.

Failure to pay the licence fee will result in a fine of 125 euros (about 134 U.S. dollars), rising to 150 euros in 2018, the paper added, and 350 euros for repeat offenders. Enditem