encore beaucoup d’interrogations autour de la future zone à faibles émissions
By January 1, 2025, Bordeaux Métropole must set up a low emission zone (ZFE) on its territory. That is to say, it must define an area comprising roadways where the circulation of the most polluting vehicles is restricted. The purpose of this measure is to reduce air pollution in the city, it is part of the “Climate and resilience” law. However, the law which obliges the communities to set up this device, has not defined precise modalities. It is therefore up to the different communities to think about which area, which vehicles, which frequency etc. will be concerned.
Today, in the territory of Bordeaux Métropole, road traffic is responsible for 75% of nitrogen dioxide emissions, 36% of suspended particulate emissions and 32% of fine particulate emissions. These different emissions kill 150 people in the Metropolis and cost nearly 300 million euros in treatment for air-related illnesses in the Metropolis. “The establishment of an EPZ should therefore reduce this impact“explains the president of the Metropolis, Alain Anziani.
The metropolitan area’s ZFE will concern the entire intra-ring road territory, encompassing the municipalities of Bègles, Bordeaux, Bouliac, Bruges, Cenon, Eysines, Floirac, Gradignan, Le Bouscat, Lormont, Mérignac, Pessac, Talence and Villenave d’Ornon. This territory was chosen for several reasons: first of all, this perimeter will cover two thirds of the population of Bordeaux Métropole, as required by law, then, it is one of the most polluted in the Métropole and finally, it is one of those that offers the best public transport network, allowing an alternative to the car.
Many outstanding questions
However, there are still many points to be clarified, such as the frequency of application: will the ZFE be effective 7 days a week or only on working days? 24 hours a day or only during the day? Or the categories of vehicles concerned: will all vehicles be concerned or only trucks and utility vehicles?
It is also a question of defining which level of Crit’air vignettes will be compulsory for circular in the ZFE. Crit’air labels are labels that allow you to classify vehicles according to their level of pollution. The classification is made according to the age of the vehicleof its category and of fuel wires. There are 6 classification levels: level zero with the “Green Crit’air” sticker for 100% electric vehicles that emit no particles, intermediate levels from 1 to 5 with the “decreasing Crit’air” sticker where the more sticker number is high the more the vehicle is polluting, and finally level 6 which concerns the very old vehicle and for which there is no Crit’air sticker.
Finally, there is also questions of control, sanctions and aidwhich can be summed up by two questions: who and how.
It is to take the time to answer all these questions that the Métropole is now starting to work on the subject. And in particular to set up a citizen consultationin order to warn metropolitan residents, but also to seek their opinion on the various issues, because Alain Anziani has insisted: he does not want “of a yellow vest phenomenon“.