Stockholm Scraps City-Center Ban on Gasoline and Diesel Cars

By Lars Paulsson

November 29, 2024 at 6:18AM EST

A line of traffic passes retail stores on a street in the Kungsgatan district of central Stockholm, Sweden, on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Just as Swedens biggest mortgage banks start raising interest rates, the countrys state-backed home-loan provider says its cutting customers borrowing costs in a move that threatens to hurt industry profits after years of negative rates. (Mikael Sjoberg/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Stockholm’s plan to ban traditional combustion-engine cars in a central part of the Swedish capital won’t go ahead after it was preliminary rejected by the county board.

Starting Dec. 31, the city had planned to only allow electric cars, some hybrid trucks and fuel-cell vehicles in an area of about 20 blocks in downtown Stockholm in a bid to crack down on pollution.

The municipality decided on new rules for the area on Oct. 1, but these were appealed by firms including a real estate company and a local taxi firm. The county board will make a final decision at a later date, according to a document dated Thursday.