Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Nizza/Alpes-Maritimes ZPA - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 03-09-2021
Type of environmental zone: temporary, weather-related air protection zone, active when pollution limits are exceeded
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles without a sufficiently high class of vignette, 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 air protection zone of the Département Alpes-Maritimes includes 6 cities located next to each other on the coast. These are, from east to west: Nice, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Antibes, Vallauris, Cannes.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus and Ambulance
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone ZFE Nice - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 31-01-2022
Type of environmental zone: Permanent
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently):
Minibus (M2), coach (M3), lorry (N2, N3): without vignette as well as vehicles that have a vignette 5, 4, 3
Passenger cars, motorhomes (M1), vans (N1): without vignette as well as vehicles that have a vignette 5, 4
Fines: 68-450 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The coastal roads Promenade des Anglais, Quai des Etats-Unis, Quai Rauba Capeu are affected. The old town also belongs to the environmental zone, between the streets Avenue Désambrois in the west, Voie Mathis in the north, Boulevard Carabacel in the east. The streets themselves are not part of it, except for the Promenade des Anglais, which borders the zone to the south and also belongs to it.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: air.nca@nicecotedazur.org
Exemptions: Fire brigade, Residents (registration/application necessary), Doctor (registration/application necessary), Disabled vehicle (registration/application necessary), Police car (registration/application necessary), Public bus, Waste collection vehicle and Ambulance
To enter the low emission zone, each vehicle concerned requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air). Otherwise, a fine of 68 euros to 375 euros is to be expected.
The ZFE zones (Zone à Faibles Émissions), which were still called ZCR zones from 2016 to the end of 2019, are fixed zones that can be identified by traffic signs.
The establishment of a ZFE in France is the responsibility of the respective city or municipality and is regulated by the national decree Décret ZCR 2016-847 of 28.06.2016. After a 6-month legal consultation procedure, which also provides for a right of participation of affected persons, the zone can come into force.
In order to be able to travel in the ZFE environmental zones established by cities or municipalities in France, a Certificat qualité de l'Air is then required, which is allocated to 6 categories.
The respective city or commune determines which sticker classes may enter when. On an additional sign, under the actual ZFE sign, days and times are indicated at which one may enter with a certain French vignette.
In the long term, more and more vignette categories are being excluded from entering low emission zones, so that in some years only categories E and 1 will be allowed to enter.
In a ZFE zone, vignette colours are permanently excluded and do not depend on the respective weather conditions. However, it is possible that a ZFE and a ZPA zone overlap. If driving bans are then imposed within the ZPA zone due to the weather, these also apply to the ZFE/zone. In this case, the rules of the ZPA also apply to the ZFE zone.
However, if the ZFE zone is not within a ZPA zone, this case cannot occur and the rules are unchangeable.
The beginning and end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as a prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone). Exactly who may or may not enter the zone 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.
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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