Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Arve-Valley ZPA - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-09-2017
Type of environmental zone: temporary, weather-related air protection zone, active when pollution limits are exceeded
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles without a badge and vehicles with insufficient badge class, depending on the level and duration of the air pollution peak.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 68-450 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The ZPA environmental zone of Arve valley covers 41 cities and municipalities along the Arve river, which is around 80 km long, between the municipality of Contamine-sur-Arve at the A40/A410 highway intersection and the headwaters of the Arve to the city Vallorcine. This affects the traffic between the triangular crossing A40/A410 until La Fayet, as well as on national road N205 until its derivation to the Mont Blanc tunnel and on the D1506 toward Chamonix and Vallorcine.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus and Ambulance
If there is a peak in air pollution and the ZPA zone is activated, each affected vehicle requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air) to enter the low emission zone. Otherwise, a fine of between 68 euros and 375 euros is to be expected.
You can find out whether a ZPAd zone is active and which vignette is affected by the driving ban in our Green-Zones App.
ZPA zones ("zones de protection de l'air") do not apply permanently, but are only active during bad weather and high air pollution. They can cover the areas of entire large municipalities (known as "metropolitan areas" in French) or a specific geographical area. The outlines of each air protection zone are therefore precisely defined in advance.
Since ZPA zones are only valid in the event of a peak in air pollution, the traffic restrictions laid down in a decree only apply if predefined air pollution limits are exceeded. In this case, certain vignette colours are excluded from traffic in order to reduce pollutant emissions. For each air protection zone, recommendations have been drawn up in advance as to which vignette colours should be excluded in the event of severe air pollution. However, in the specific case of air pollution this is always decided by the prefect of the department first.
The mostly large ZPA air protection zones within a department are usually not signposted. In the 95 departments of continental France, it is therefore almost impossible for non-residents to see the exact extent of a ZPA air protection zone. In accordance with article R411-19 of the French Road Code, the decision to create an air protection zone and to define the local rules applicable there falls to the prefect of each department. Once the ZPA zone has been decided, it is legally published in a décret issued by the prefect.
The traffic restrictions decided in a CPA do not come into force on the same day as they are announced. They are usually announced in the afternoon or evening for the following day. The driving bans then apply throughout the ZPA. In case there is an urban ZCR zone within the ZPA zone, its rules are overridden during an air pollution peak. Only after the end of the air pollution peak will the permanent traffic restrictions for vignette categories apply again within the ZCR zone.
ZPA zones are only activated temporarily. The size and dimensions of the zone are completely individual. This is determined by the respective prefect, depending on the intensity of air pollution. Therefore there are no special signs for ZPA zones.
The situation is different for the ZFE zones. There, the beginning and the end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone). Who exactly is allowed to enter or not is not indicated by the entry sign.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Yes, a lot of them. France has over 30 different environmental zones. These differ in ZFE (permanent), ZPA (temporary) and ZPAd (temporary département) zones.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
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