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REUTERS
BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, campaigning for her Christian Democrats (CDU) to retain control of the crucial state of Hesse in next Sunday's election, promised legislation to ward off the threat of air pollution leading to driving bans.
Speaking at a news conference on Sunday evening, Merkel said it would be disproportionate to ban dirty diesel cars from the road in places like Frankfurt, Hesse's largest city, where nitrogen emissions limits were only marginally exceeded.
Following her allies'disastrous showing in Bavaria's regional elections last week, Merkel faces murmurs of dissent within her party. Defeat in the state to the resurgent Greens could prove fatal to her premiership.
Emissions from diesel cars have pushed nitrogen levels above the permitted level of 50 milligrams per cubic metre in dozens of cities across Germany, and Merkel's government is keen to avoid unpopular bans on taking the cars on the road.
"Driving bans are disproportionate when it comes to small excess pollution levels,"she said."We want to change the law ... That is a very important piece of information for a city like Frankfurt."
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22/10/2018
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