Oslo city centre to be car-free within 4 years
Mon 19 October 2015
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The newly elected city council in Oslo has announced plans to prohibit cars in central Oslo within four years, the first comprehensive ban in a European capital.
In a joint declaration the council, comprised of the Labour Party, the Greens and the Socialist Left said buses and trams will continue to serve the city centre.
The initiative includes plans to build 60km of extra cycle lanes over the next three years, as well as boosting investment in the existing bus and tram networks that serve the city centre. Lead negotiator from the Green Party Marie Nguyen Berg told Reuters: "We want to make it better for pedestrians, cyclists. It will be better for shops and everyone." However, the Guardian reports that the proposal has raised concerns among local business owners, due to the fact that 11 of Oslo's 57 shopping centres are in the proposed car-free zone.
A consultation and study will be undertaken before implementation and the council has indicated disabled users would be catered for along with goods deliveries.
Oslo has around 600,000 inhabitants and almost 350,000 cars in the whole city.
Other European capitals have previously introduced temporary car bans in their city centres, including Paris last month. Some such as London or Madrid have congestion charges to limit car traffic.
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