Quieter streets, fewer accidents, cleaner air, more liveable neighbourhoods. These are the benefits that residents, pedestrians, cyclists and even drivers have experienced with the introduction of 30 km/h zones. Many cities were already introducing such zones long before the European Parliament adopted its road safety policy in 2021. In Graz, Brussels, Paris and many other cities, for example, restrictions apply to the entire built-up area of the municipality, except on main roads. In Budapest, too, these zones have proliferated in recent years, and several districts are now introducing them in a coordinated way over almost their entire territory.

“Not only is there less noise and safer traffic in zones with a 30-kilometre speed limit than where the speed limit is 50 km/h, but (probably surprisingly for many) there is also less air pollution. The explanation is that in densely populated urban areas, vehicles brake and accelerate almost constantly, and they emit much more pollutants when accelerating than when driving at a steady speed. If they accelerate from zero or close to zero to 30 km/h instead of 50 km/h, emissions are also much lower,” said András Lukács, chairman of the Clean Air Action Group.

The experience in other European countries shows that slowing traffic in cities is a natural process. In Spain, the high number of pedestrians and cyclists killed or injured in road accidents and the growing popularity of environmentally friendly modes of transport have prompted Spanish decision-makers to impose a 30 km/h general speed limit for all cities. In France, several cities – Grenoble, Lille, Nantes – switched to the lower speed limit years ago, and Mayor Anne Hidalgo has extended the 30 km/h limit to almost the whole of Paris. In Brussels, it was introduced last year for the whole city, except for the main roads.

“It is not only the designation of 30 km/h zones that is important, but also the enforcement of the rule. International experience shows that it is not enough to put up traffic signs, but that speeding must be physically discouraged. There is no need for costly modifications, as it is often enough to paint the road surface or put up flower boxes, for example. But there is also a need for monitoring, which can best be done with the help of a GPS on-board unit, which is also used for the planned introduction of urban tolls,” said Márton Vargha, the NGO's transport policy officer.