RIGA, May 5 (LETA) - The initial plans for introduction of a low-emission zone in Riga basically only foresee the introduction of an entry fee in the central part of the city and are not suitable for further development of the project, believes Edgars Bergholcs (United List), chairman of Riga City Council's Urban Development Committee.

Bergholcs is planning to further reassess the low-emission zone project, as he believes that the scenarios proposed are primarily aimed at increasing city budget revenues, not reducing the number of automobiles and improving air quality in the city, Riga City Council's External Communications Department informed LETA.

Alternative scenarios developed by Riga City Council's Urban Development Department and Ernst & Young Baltic would in fact mean the introduction of an entry fee in Riga, rather than targeted solutions to improve air quality, explained Bergholcs.

"It is clear that the calculations are not precise enough. I believe that this is yet another municipal project in which funds may have been wasted," said Bergholcs.

So far, EUR 253,616 has been spent on the project study and more than EUR 155,000 has been earmarked for developing an action plan. However, the financial impact of the proposed traffic restrictions on all stakeholders has not been assessed, funding sources have not been identified, and there is no plan how the revenues will be used, stressed Bergholcs.

"This project is presented to the public as a successful solution to improve air quality, but its benefits are exaggerated because in many parts of the world such zones have not delivered the expected results," said Bergholcs.