Odense Municipality has expressed concerns about the fines that patients may incur when driving to the hospital in older diesel cars. Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke acknowledges that it is a significant issue that patients risk receiving fines if they travel to the hospital in a vehicle without a particulate filter. This problem exists in several cities where hospitals are located within environmental zones that do not permit older diesel vehicles without filters. A violation of this rule can result in a fine of 1,500 Danish kroner (approximately 210 USD).

Older vehicles that cannot be retrofitted with particulate filters may be exempt from the rule when the driver has an appointment at the hospital. However, emergency patients, including those on their way to the emergency room or pregnant women in labor, face the risk of incurring fines.

This situation led Odense Municipality to contact the Ministry of Environment in April with a request to exempt patients from these penalties. Minister Heunicke was made aware of this inquiry only through a request from Ekstra Bladet, a Danish newspaper, and he has now stated that the matter will be investigated further. Heunicke has expressed dissatisfaction that the issue did not come to his attention sooner and has emphasized the importance of addressing such real problems quickly and effectively within the ministry. The Minister plans to meet with Tim Vermund Andersen, the city council member for climate and environment in Odense Municipality, to discuss the matter.

The issue is not confined to Odense. In Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, and Aalborg, hospitals are also situated within environmental zones, making this matter relevant for patients in these cities as well. Aarhus has also implemented an environmental zone, but the hospital there is located outside of it. In addition to hospital appointments, exemptions may also be granted to individuals who work nighttime shifts in an environmental zone or who own a vehicle for persons with disabilities.