Case Study: Decree on deciding the environmental burden fee - Kecskemét, Hungary

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Synopsis

Some of the principal objectives of the City of Kecskemét's transport policy are:

• insuring the transfer from car to sustainable modes of transport;
• improving the quality of life and health;
• reducing air pollution.

As a consequence, the Municipality has implemented measures such as:

• promoting sustainable modes of transport and their advantages;
• restricting the access of motorists to the city center;
• promoting the use of cleaner vehicles powered by various energies (i.e.natural gas, bio gas, bio fuel, electricity, condensed propane gas, etc.);
• re-distributing of the road network.

Regulations and sanctions to controle air pollution of public transportation vehicles have been set up by the Parliament (laws) and are implemented locally (decrees), e.g. Decree 7/2002. (VI.29.) of GKM-BM-KvVM on the revision and controle of motor vehicles for environmental protection. The air pollution emission of private vehicles and public transport vehicles have to be controlled and by the operator in certain periods set by the provisions of the law with the help of authorized organization, appointed by the Traffic Advisory Board. No motor vehicle can run without a "green card". A PTO/PTA can apply for funds to change the engine of public transport vehicules and thus meets the requirements of the EU-standards of the Environmental Protection Fund Provision.

There are different kinds of sanctions: penalty or withdrawal of the vehicle from the traffic. Supports and allowances are allowing for the PTO operating clean vehicles (e.g. support for the environmental burden fee). The allowances are set by the Parliament (law). The basis of the allowance is for example the regulation of the catalytic converter, the age of the vehicle, the use of environmentally friendly fuel. The rate of the allowance is 20-50 % in 2003.

Taxes on vehicles are implemented:

• they are to be paid to the territorial authority of the local government that registered the vehicle. As it is based on the weight of the vehicle, it is also called "weight tax".
• its minimum and maximum amounts prescribed by the law are HUF 600/100kg and HUF 1,000/100kg respectively.
• the General Assembly of Kecskemét City of County Rank defined the rate of "weight tax" as 4.2 euros/100 kg from 2003.

Target groups: all citizens
Fields: public transport - responsible car use / mobility plans

This case study is one of 175 projects from the Smile Project Local Experiences Database listed on this website.

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Municipality of Kecskemèt