It is possible that Assen will relax the Zero Emission Zone, which comes into effect on January 1 for smelly diesel buses in the center, halfway through the journey. Then it concerns the introduction schedule for the less old diesel buses. Whether they will still be given a few years of grace depends on an investigation halfway through next year.
Alderman Bert Jan ten Oever (City Party PLOP) made this promise in the city council tonight after questions from VVD and Lijst de Rijke.
VVD councilor Bert Homan spoke up for local entrepreneurs, who currently have absolutely no money to simply switch to electric. “Because those vehicles are three times as expensive as diesel vans.”
They are fine with the fact that the oldest vans of fifteen years or older will soon be banned. Moreover, the councilor has previously promised not to enforce the law for the first eight months. But VVD and Lijst de Rijke would like to relax the timetable for the less old diesel vans (emission class Euro 5 and 6). These would be banned in 2027 and 2028 due to their high CO2 emissions. That comes too quickly for the parties.
According to Homan, local small and medium-sized businesses have not yet recovered from the hard blows of the corona years. He notes that there are quite a few plumbers, painters and small suppliers in Assen driving around in those vans, which also have to be in the center area.
“We want to be business-friendly, so the big question is whether we are,” says the VVD member. He once again pointed out the petition from Asser entrepreneurs that was presented to the councilor last month with 450 protest signatures.
VVD and Lijst de Rijke therefore want to give the Asser situation more time for the transition for the less old diesel buses – with Euro 5 and 6 engines. And that is why enforcement will only really start in 2029 and 2030, instead of 2027 and 2028. “With these measures we are helping many entrepreneurs,” says Homan.
They want the council to conduct research in the first half of next year to see how these entrepreneurs can get more time for the transition. “With further relaxation, we will accommodate many entrepreneurs and that suits an entrepreneur-friendly city like Assen.”
Councilor Bert Jan ten Oever understands the concerns and acknowledges that the measure has quite an impact on entrepreneurs and suppliers. “I realize that it demands a lot from entrepreneurs, and that is why we started preparing years ago.” A logistics broker has also been active for months, advising entrepreneurs on the switch to electric transport.
Nationally, the Zero Emission Zone, which fourteen municipalities will introduce on January 1, is also receiving a lot of attention from both the House of Representatives and the cabinet. They would prefer to weaken the introduction considerably. “But the municipality is responsible for implementation and enforcement,” said the councilor.
Ten Oever pledged to monitor the effects of the emission-free zone by the middle of this year. “And depending on the research, we will see whether we can adjust the policy slightly, also with regard to Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel buses.”