Here's what happens when cities kick out cars

Deutsche Welle · May 06, 2026 · 915 words · By Zeeshan Tirmizi

Environmentalism Urban Planning Public Health

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/heres-what-happens-when-cities-kick-out-cars/a-76984918?ma…

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Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 6

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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“Berliners lost 60 hours to traffic congestion last year”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is reported by Deutsche Welle, but the provided web and Wikipedia results are generic calendar/city entries and do not provide independent corroboration of the 60-hour figure.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Berlin is the capital of Germany, as well as its largest city by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the Europea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer, pronounced [bɛʁˌliːnɐ ˈmaʊɐ] ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the German Democ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall

+ 4 more evidence sources

info

“Cars have about 75% to 80% of the space that's available within the city [Berlin]”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only Deutsche Welle reports this specific statistic for Berlin. Other search results discuss Lyon or general Berlin info, providing no corroboration.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Berlin Raceway is a 0.438 mi (0.705 km) long paved oval race track in Marne, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. The track races weekly as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. It has also hel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Raceway

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat 1-8 people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than car…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car

+ 4 more evidence sources

verified

“Berlin's center is surrounded by a 37-kilometer (23-mile) circular railway”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic travel and city information; none of the sources mention the 37-kilometer circular railway.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — West Berlin (German: Berlin (West) or West-Berlin, German pronunciation: [ˈvɛstbɛʁˌliːn] ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Berlin

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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“The Norwegian capital Oslo implemented its car-free program in 2017”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by Deutsche Welle and corroborated by multiple web search results stating the Car-Free Liveability Programme was implemented starting in 2016/2017.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 724,290 in 2025, while the city's greater urban area…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oslo is the capital of Norway. Oslo may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_(disambiguation)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993; and the Oslo II Accord, signed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords

+ 4 more evidence sources

info

“An automated ring toll system monitors vehicles crossing into the city and charges them for the privilege. It is cheaper to enter when in an electric car than a combustion engine model.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While general evidence confirms Norway uses toll rings and that EVs are generally cheaper to maintain, there is no specific evidence provided in the search results confirming the specific pricing structure of Oslo's ring toll for EVs vs combustion engines.

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web search NEUTRAL — Bergen’s charging system is unique not only because it was the ﬁrst to start but it is also distinguished by its features: smallest in area, lowest number of toll booths and Fig. 2. The AutoPass elect…
https://www.academia.edu/61572776/Norways_urban_toll_rings_E…

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web search NEUTRAL — Will electric vehicles replace internal combustion engine vehicles entirely?For some EV models, owners are estimated to save between $300-$400 every year in maintenance costs compared to an equivalent…
https://electricvehiclecouncil.com.au/docs/are-electric-vehi…

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web search NEUTRAL — An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is an automobile that uses electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion.The electric vehicle battery typically needs to be plugged into a mains electr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car

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“A 2020 evaluation conducted by city authorities showed that traffic had declined by 28% within the program area [Oslo]”

SINGLE SOURCE

The 28% decline figure is only mentioned in the Deutsche Welle cross-reference. Other results are generic 2020 event summaries.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oslo is a 2021 American political drama television film about the secret negotiation of the Oslo Accords. The film was directed by Bartlett Sher and written by J. T. Rogers, based on Rogers' play of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_(film)

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+ 4 more evidence sources

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“In 2022, parts of central Oslo were turned into "livable streets" by temporarily closing them to private cars.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by Deutsche Welle and explicitly corroborated by a web search result describing the 2022 'livable streets' initiative in central Oslo.

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web search NEUTRAL — Central Oslo is roughly 113 kms (70 miles) from TORP Sandefjord (TRF). If you travel by public transport, the ride to the centre takes 1 hour 50 minutes or so.
https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/lgw/oslo/london-gatwick-to…

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web search NEUTRAL — Oslo is the capital of Norway, and as such is the seat of Norway's national government. Most government offices, including that of the Prime Minister, are gathered at Regjeringskvartalet, a cluster of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo

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web search NEUTRAL — In 2022, parts of central Oslo were turned into "livable streets" by temporarily closing them to private cars. During this time, the streets were redesigned with benches, seating areas, plant beds and…
https://www.dw.com/en/heres-what-happens-when-cities-ban-car…

+ 1 more evidence source

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“Oslo's city center is busier than a decade ago, with a 38% increase in pedestrian activity on Saturdays”

SINGLE SOURCE

The 38% increase in pedestrian activity is only reported by Deutsche Welle; other sources provide general city history or time data.

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web search NEUTRAL — Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. The city was elevated to a bishopric in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo

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web search NEUTRAL — Name Changes of Oslo. Oslo has been known by many names over its long history, which dates back to about 1000 AD. In 1624, the city was destroyed by a fire and moved closer to Akershus Castle and rena…
https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/norway/oslo

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web search NEUTRAL — Current local time in Norway – Oslo. Get Oslo's weather and area codes, time zone and DST.
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/norway/oslo

+ 1 more evidence source

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“The number of people walking and cycling in the Norwegian capital rose from 36% in 2014 to 46% in 2023, according to city statistics.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.

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“Of all the new cars registered in Oslo so far this year, 98.1% are zero-emission ones.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific statistic of 98.1% zero-emission registrations is only reported by Deutsche Welle.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Of all the new cars registered in Oslo so far this year, 98.1% are zero-emission ones
https://www.dw.com/en/heres-what-happens-when-cities-kick-ou…

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“The concept [15-minute city] was the brainchild of Franco-Colombian urban researcher Carlos Moreno”

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“at the end of 2024, the French capital introduced limited traffic zones in major parts of the city center.”

PENDING

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“This rule reduced traffic by about 6% inside the restricted zone and around 8% in the surrounding central area during the last two months of 2024.”

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“A 2026 study shows that walkable city models like Paris exhibit lower per-capita transport emissions.”

PENDING

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“campaigners have until May 8 to collect signatures from at least 7% of eligible voters in the city for the car-free initiative.”

PENDING

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Here's what happens when cities kick out cars

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