Paris has started implementing a new rule from June 1, stating that heavily polluting diesel vehicles will be banned from low-emissions zones in the greater Paris region.
From 8 am to 8 pm, cars, trucks and two-wheeled motor vehicles labeled 4 under the Crit’Air sticker system are no longer allowed to be driven on weekdays.
According to the Crit’Air, drivers in the Ile-de-France will need to display a numbered, color-coded marker on their windscreen that shows their car’s pollution ranking.
The new rules affect diesel-powered cars built before 2006, and those with gasoline engines built before 1997, with a fine of 68 euros for anyone breaking the law.
The French capital has two permanent low-emissions zones in place: the Greater Paris ZCR and the Central Paris ZCR, which include the city’s 20 arrondissements.
Encompassing an area of about 815km², the zones have 131 municipalities that are home to more than 7 million inhabitants.
This is from the plan of Mayor Anne Hidalgo who has aimed to make Paris a greener city by banning diesel vehicles outright before the city hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The European Environment Agency has warned that air pollution is “the biggest environmental health risk in Europe”, causing increased levels of respiratory issues, lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.