Krakow City Council has decided to establish Poland’s first Clean Transport Zone (SCT Zone). From 1 July 2024, the oldest cars, nearly 30 years old, with the EURO 1 emission standard will not be allowed to drive in Krakow. From 1 July 2026, all cars not meeting the EURO3 standard (cars manufactured before 2000) for petrol cars and EURO5 (manufactured before 2010) for diesel cars will disappear from Krakow’s streets.

Entry to the city will be gradually restricted for the oldest cars – firstly in 2024, when around 2% of today’s vehicle fleet will not be allowed into the city. Further restrictions would apply from 2026 and will affect between 10% and 30% of today’s vehicle number.

Only petrol/LPG cars with a minimum Euro 3 standard will be allowed into Krakow, and diesel vehicles with a minimum Euro 5 standard. All older ones will be banned. This means that petrol cars that do not meet the Euro 3 emissions standard will not enter Kraków. The list of banned models includes cars such as: Audi 80, BMW 3 Series E30, BMW 5 Series E34, Volkswagen Golf II, Volkswagen Passat B4, Opel Kadett, Opel Vectra A.

The list of diesel cars that do not meet the Euro 5 emissions standard includes: Alfa Romeo 156, Audi A4 B5 (first generation), Volkswagen Golf IV, Skoda Octavia first generation, Ford Focus Mk2 (second generation), Renault Megane II, Peugeot 307, Volkswagen Passat B5 and B6, or Mercedes C-Class (W204).

“On Krakow’s roads, there are 105 smog days, the highest result in Poland. The same applies to the concentrations of PM10 dust and nitrogen dioxide. This is what uncontrolled vehicular transport does to us. This translates into health problems: strokes, hypertension, miscarriages”, said Anna Dworakowska of the Krakow Smog Alarm.

Adrian Andrzejewski