Rotterdam city council has agreed to ban old, polluting cars and vans from the northern parts of the city within the ring road from January 2016.

Older lorries have been banned from that part of the city for a longer period in an effort to improve air quality.

The ban will now apply to diesel cars built before 2001 and cars predating 1992. In 2018, the ban may be extended to cover diesel cars from before 2005.

Utrecht banned polluting vehicles from its city centre at the beginning of this year and will start fining drivers who break the law €90 from May 1. Checks are being carried out using cameras, surveillance vehicles and human controls.