Oslo’s plan to curb car use may be the most ambitious in Europe
pollution and congestion, a growing number of local governments are trying to reduce the number of drivers in Europe’s big cities. Some, like London and Stockholm, have imposed congestion charges to discourage driving during peak hours. Paris has tried banning cars from driving on certain days, depending on whether they have even or odd number plates. Perhaps the most ambitious plan to curb cars comes from Oslo.
Oslo’s plans have often been billed as a “car ban” by the press and driving enthusiasts. This overstates the magnitude of the changes. For one thing, the city’s new anti-car policies mainly affect only the compact city centre. Moreover, cars are hardly banned—walk through the streets of Oslo today and you will find there are still plenty zipping about.
Hanna Marcussen, vice-mayor for urban development and a member of the Green Party, notes that Oslo’s most successful shops are on the high street, where most customers are pedestrians anyway. The government is busy compiling tax records to measure the economic impact of its reforms. Research on Stockholm’s congestion-pricing scheme finds that the benefits from factors such as shorter travel times and safer roads far outweigh the fees paid by drivers.
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