2024-01-01 10:00:13
From January 1, certain cities in France will prevent the oldest Diesel cars from driving. This is an approach that is part of efforts to reduce automobile pollution.
Diesel vehicles affected
Cities using Low Emission Zones (ZFE) and assigning labels called “Crit’Air” will ban Crit’Air 5 vehicles, the most polluting, and those without stickers. This concerns in particular Diesel cars registered between January 2001 and December 2005, as well as two-wheelers registered between June 2000 and June 2004.
From January 1, the cities of Lyon, Strasbourg and Grenoble, as well as twelve municipalities around Grenoble, will no longer allow all vehicles with the Crit’Air 4 label to circulate on their roads. These places, where around 2 million people live, decided to take this step together. For drivers who do not respect the new rule, that of not driving or parking in these areas, they will have to pay a fine of 68 euros. If they are trucks or coaches, the fine might reach 135 euros.
It must be said that the initiative to ban polluting vehicles concerns several series of cars. However, the authorities decided to apply the bans gradually, so as not to catch affected drivers by surprise. It is with this in mind that the Lyon region decided, last June, to cancel its initial plan to no longer authorize Crit’Air 2 vehicles (diesel and gasoline cars registered before 2011) from January 1, 2026 The ban has been postponed until January 1, 2028.
Progressive bans
In Grenoble too, they want to introduce the new rule smoothly. During the first six months of the year, there will be no sanctions, although the rule will apply Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Strasbourg too, they have chosen to slowly accustom people to change, with an “educational” period throughout 2023, which therefore ends at the beginning of 2024.
You should know that the main reason for the creation of Low Emission Zones (ZFE), in other words the ban on diesel cars, is to improve air quality. It is estimated that air pollution causes nearly 100,000 premature deaths in France each year. In specific regions like Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, around 4,300 deaths might be due to fine particles alone, called PM2.5, which have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers.
Beyond the serious public health problem, France was singled out in 2021 for its insufficient action once morest climate change and the risk of sanctions. However, France is not alone in this situation, because in total, 11 member countries of the European Union are facing exceedances of limits for particles called PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone. (O3).
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