BERLIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Germany's first diesel ban took effect on Thursday in its northern city Hamburg.

Vehicles failing to meet the Euro 6 emission standard are banned to pass two road sections in the city. But the use of cars for sanitation and ambulance, and by the residents living within sections and their visitors are not affected.

There are 264,000 passenger vehicles registered in the city, but only 96,300 of them meet the standard, showed the statistics of Germany's vehicle authority KBA.

German environmental NGO BUND said the partial ban has delivered "a good signal", while calling for some broader ones.

Germany's association of vehicle industry VDA said in its statement that there are other, better ways to control air pollution with technological innovation.

German cities were greenlighted this February by the country's supreme constitutional court to impose their own diesel bans.