Utrecht can continue to ban old polluting vehicles from the city centre in an effort to improve air quality, a court ruled on Friday.

The city brought in a ban on diesel cars predating 2001 last January. Motorists who break the ban face a fine of €90.

The case was brought by the Dutch automobile club KNAC on behalf of a number of classic car owners and a second lobby group which says the rule will have little effect on pollution.

Reasonable

The court said the council had failed to give a complete picture of the impact of the ban on air quality but that this was not sufficient reason to overturn it. The council had acted within reason in bringing in the ban, even though the environmental effects may be limited, the court said in a statement.

The groups campaigning against the ban both say they will appeal.

Parliament

In December, a majority of MPs voted in favour of cancelling the so-called environmental zone which Utrecht has introduced and Rotterdam brought in on January 1.

However, infrastructure minister Melanie Schultz, who does not support the bans on old cars, said later that councils are free to impose their own rules.