‘No-one visits me anymore’: Low Emission Zones and social exclusion via sustainable transport policy

For many years, the literature has pointed to the difficulties with the development of transport policy measures which meet both social and environmental policy objectives. Low Emission Zones (LEZ) offer an interesting example of measures that aim to decrease traffic-related air pollution, but which might have significant social effects by reducing the mobility of vulnerable, car-dependent groups. The Antwerp LEZ (Belgium) is used as a case. The assumptions and views in policy documents were compared with the experiences of some affected persons. The research challenges the assumption that only households with a non-compliant vehicle living in the LEZ are impacted by the measure since the LEZ may have a social impact well beyond the delimited zone. Some people with their residence in the LEZ expressed the feeling that they put a burden on friends and relatives from outside the zone who want to visit them. Furthermore, the LEZ affects low-income car owners with an older, damage-prone vehicle that is allowed to enter the zone, by making replacement vehicles less affordable. In general, the case reveals how the views and experiences of those most likely affected by the policy measure are not fully taken into account.

长期以来，学界研究均指出，兼顾社会与环境政策目标的交通政策举措制定存在诸多难点。低排放区（Low Emission Zones, LEZ）便是一类兼具针对性与争议性的政策举措：其旨在降低交通源空气污染，却可能通过削弱弱势、依赖私家车群体的出行机动性，引发显著的社会影响。本研究以比利时安特卫普低排放区（Antwerp LEZ）为案例对象，将政策文件中的预设与观点，与部分受影响群体的实际体验进行了对比分析。本研究对一项主流预设提出了质疑：即仅有居住在低排放区内、车辆不符合排放标准的家庭才会受该政策影响——实际上低排放区的社会影响可能远超其划定的地理范围。部分居住在低排放区内的受访者表示，他们让想要前来探望的区外亲友背负了额外负担。此外，对于驾驶符合准入标准的老旧易损耗车辆的低收入车主而言，政策会因替代车辆购置成本更高，进一步加重其经济负担。总体而言，该案例揭示了一个普遍问题：政策制定者往往未充分考量政策最受影响群体的真实看法与实际体验。