Driving to Spiel 08? Read This First
A number of cities in Germany have adopted low emission zone, or LEZ, regulations which require cars driving through the city centers to bear an “Umwelt Plakette” (emission badge) to show that they emit an acceptable level of particulates. Fail to have a sticker, and you can be fined €40, even if you’re in a rental car or a non-European resident.
Why is this relevant for gamers? Because the LEX policy took effect in Essen on September 1, 2008, and while the Messe where Spiel will be held in October is outside the restricted travel zone (as I understand it), if you need to drive through the center of town – or you just get lost – you could be hit with a fine.
If you’re renting a car in Europe, make sure to request a vehicle that meets the LEZ standards. If you need to purchase a sticker, I suggest visiting the TÜV NORD website as it includes information in English for where inspection stations are located and how to order a sticker online. (Head to this page for a list of other German cities where LEZ restrictions are already in place or will be soon.)
Thanks to Derek Carver for passing along this information!
Posted by W. Eric Martin on Sep 5, 2008 at 04:00 AM in Game News, Convention Preview News / 910
Comments:
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You can find maps here: http://www2.tuev-nord.de/VirtualEarthApps/tnm_ve_umweltzonen_web/Default.aspx Posted by Balint Nagy on Sep 5, 2008 at 05:17 AM | #
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Glad that kind of stupid stuff isnt going on here in the U.S. OOPs forgot California, they don’t count anyway. :) Posted by Terry Bailey Sr. on Sep 5, 2008 at 07:00 AM | #
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I guess one must assume that this sort of environmental protection isn’t necessary where one has a population surplus. Posted by Derek Carver on Sep 5, 2008 at 02:19 PM | #
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Don’t mind Terry, Derek--he’s been sniffing the exhaust fumes too long. Thankfully, he’s not representative of ALL Americans! Posted by Larry Levy on Sep 5, 2008 at 02:29 PM | #
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Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t even know what Terry is talking about. Every car in Virginia needs to pass an emissions inspection every other year or it can’t be driven. I assume similar practices are in place in most of the States of the Union. So we’ve got the procedures in place; the only question is if the acceptable levels are low enough. Posted by Larry Levy on Sep 5, 2008 at 02:33 PM | #
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I think the levels are not low enough in the USA. It has economically reasons. It costs money. And the USA don’t want to spend money for those kind of foolishness like environmental protection. Sorry couse my opinion. I didn’t want to hurt anybody with this. Posted by Balint Nagy on Sep 5, 2008 at 03:53 PM | #
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