The most polluting cars are banned from driving in downtown Marseille from Thursday
The ZFE, a low-emissions zone, comes into force in Marseille on the day of the start of the school year: Thursday, September 1. From this Thursday, all cars with a vignette Crit’Air 5 and cars that are too old to have vignettes, are prohibited from driving in the city center, in an area of 19 km2, night and day. The measurement set up by the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis is intended to limit air pollution in the city centers of large conurbations.
Motorists must therefore have thought right now of getting their Crit’Air sticker and displaying it on their windshield.
Vignettes can be purchased at an official websitefor an amount of 3.70 euros.
The Marseille ZFE remains in place permanently, and not only during pollution peaks. It concerns all vehicles, from heavy goods vehicles to two-wheelers. Exemptions are assumed for certain vehicles, such as vintage cars or vehicles for people with disabilities (with a specific card).
An area of 19 km2 delimited by Prado, Rabatau, Jarret, Plombières and integrates the Euromed zone
This low emission zone includes a big party in the city center of Marseillefrom the coast to the major arteries: the perimeter is delimited by the interior of the boulevards: avenue du Cap Pinède, boulevards Capitaine Gèze and de Plombières, avenue Alexandre Fleming, boulevards Françoise Duparc, Sakakini, Jean Moulin and Rabatau, avenue du Prado 2 , excluding tunnels and footbridges. This perimeter concerns 314,000 inhabitants.
All the details of the ZFE perimeter on this link.
Vehicles now prohibited from circulation represented only 2% of personal vehicles, 4.4% of heavy goods vehicles and 1% of utility vehicles. However, with these new measures, experts believe that we can reduce air pollution by 20% in the city center, where the air is the least renewable due to urban density.
A ban that will be reinforced over the years
The ban will strengthen over time: Crit’Air 4 vignettes will be banned in September 2023, Crit’Air 3 one year later. Beware of dizzy people who forget to buy their sticker or offenders: the fine for non-compliance with this ZFE can go up to 135 euros. It is even announced that the controls would be “flexible” the first few weeks.
_”I am a simple employee… buying another car is impossible and absurd”-_Djamel, resident of the 13th arrondissement
A period of prevention and information that is not enough to satisfy the people concerned. Djamel, for example, lives in the 13th arrondissement of Marseille and he cannot afford to change his Citroën C3 Diesel where he has affixed his Crit’Air 5 sticker.I do not have the means ! I am a simple employee… buying another car is impossible and absurd. Marseille will only belong to the riches. If tomorrow I have a problem and I have to go downtown, what do I do? I won’t go anymore.”
For all motorists like Djamel, the city center of Marseille will now have to move… by public transport or on foot.