Leipzig: A top German court on Tuesday ruled that cities can impose diesel driving bans to combat air pollution, a landmark decision that plunges millions of car owners into uncertainty.
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig found that local authorities can legally ban older, dirty diesels from certain zones as part of their efforts to improve air quality -- a drastic move that could reshape inner-city travel and upend the auto industry.
The court did not impose any bans itself, leaving that up to city and municipal authorities.
The judges did however urge them to "exercise proportionality" and said any curbs should be introduced gradually and allow for certain exemptions.
While the legal battle centred around the smog-clogged cities of Stuttgart and Duesseldorf, it could have far-reaching repercussions in Europe´s biggest economy.
The ruling is a major blow to the government and the nation´s mighty automakers who have long opposed driving bans, fearing outrage from diesel owners whose vehicles could plummet in value.
Eager to reassure them, the government was at pains to stress nothing would change right away and that bans were not inevitable.
"Driving bans can be avoided, and my goal is and will remain that they do not come into force," said Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks.
Chancelor Angela Merkel also weighed in, saying the ruling concerned only "individual cities".
"It´s really not about the entire country and all car owners," she said.
But the outcome marks a huge victory for the environmentalist group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), which sued Stuttgart and Duesseldorf to force them to take action against the toxic nitrogen oxides and fine particles emitted by older diesel engines.