Bucharest City Hall announced that it placed two air-quality plans for 2026-2030 under public consultation, proposing restrictions on polluting vehicles and support for replacing wood- and coal-based heating systems. The measures would require approval from the General Council before taking effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pollution level in Bucharest is alarming: 4 times above the maximum values,\u201d the City Hall said in a Facebook post. \u201cWe must act as quickly as possible, for our health.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the draft Integrated Air Quality Plan, the capital\u2019s two main pollution sources are road traffic and residential heating with solid fuels.<\/p>\n
According to the City Hall, of the 2.8 million vehicles registered in Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county, roughly 1.3 million are old and polluting.<\/p>\n
The proposed low-emission zone would begin operating in central Bucharest on November 1, 2027, initially restricting access for Non-Euro and Euro 1 vehicles. The rules would then be progressively extended to Euro 2, 3, 4, and 5 vehicles through 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolluting cars will be progressively eliminated,\u201d the municipality said.<\/p>\n
Another proposed measure is the AER 2030 ACAS\u0102<\/em> program, which would support the replacement of residential heating systems using wood and coal. It would target 15,000 of the about 18,600 homes currently using such fuels.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will provide funding, together with the government and district city halls, to help people connect to clean heating systems,\u201d the City Hall said.<\/p>\n The plans also call for additional electric public transport vehicles, trolleybuses with battery autonomy, and more dedicated public transport lanes.<\/p>\n Other proposed measures include vehicle renewal programs, pedestrian and bicycle routes in the city center, and continued rehabilitation of Bucharest\u2019s district heating network.<\/p>\n After the public consultation period ends, the documents will be submitted to the Bucharest General Council for a vote.<\/p>\n