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GERMANY

Italy opens probe over VW emissions scandal

UPDATED: The Italian transport ministry said on Tuesday it will open an inquiry over the Volkswagen emissions scandal and demand explanations from the German auto giant.

Italy opens probe over VW emissions scandal
The Italian transport ministry has opened an investigation following the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Photo: DPA

The ministry said in a statement it was “concerned” about the matter and it was “launching an inquiry into the manufacturer”.

The move followed the revelations in the United States that Volkswagen had equipped diesel cars with a device that can cheat pollution tests. Italy said it needs to know if any such cars were sold in Italy.

Volkswagen admitted on Tuesday that as many as 11 million diesel cars worldwide are equipped with the pollution cheating device.

The German government has already launched an investigation into whether Volkswagen or other carmakers are doing anything similar in Germany or Europe.

France's Finance Minister Michel Sapin called for a Europe-wide probe, telling French radio that it seemed necessary to check cars manufactured by other European carmakers in order to reassure the public.

“What we are dealing with is making sure people avoid being poisoned by pollution,” Sapin said.

 

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TRANSPORT

Copenhagen Metro lines reopen after two-week closure

Lines M3 and M4 of the Copenhagen Metro are back in service having reopened on Sunday, one day ahead of schedule.

Copenhagen Metro lines reopen after two-week closure

The two lines had been closed so that the Metro can run test operations before opening five new stations on the M4 line this summer.

The tests, which began on February 10th, are now done and the lines were running again as of Sunday evening, a day ahead of the original planned reopening on Monday February 26th.

“We are very pleased to be able to welcome our passengers on to our two lines M3 and M4,” head of operations with the Metro Søren Boysen said.

“The whole test procedure exceeded all expectations and went faster than expected and we can therefore get a head start on our reopening now,” he said.

Time set aside for potential repeat tests was not needed in the event, allowing the test closures to be completed ahead of time.

“Several of our many tests went better than expected and we have therefore not used all the time we needed for extra tests,” Boysen said.

The two lines serve around one million passengers every week, according to the Metro company.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen city government greenlights extension to Metro line

The new stops on the M4 line will be located south of central Copenhagen in the Valby and Sydhavn areas. The will have the names Haveholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads and København Syd (Copenhagen South).

The M3 and M4 lines, the newer sections of the Metro, opened in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

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