“450,000 people will see an improvement in air quality”, estimates a vice-president of the Metropolis
François Chollet, the vice-president of Toulouse Métropole in charge of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Transition, estimates Thursday, September 1 on franceinfo that with the extension of the low emission zone (ZFE) Thursday in his metropolis , “450,000 people will see a marked improvement in air quality” by 2024. Several municipalities such as Marseille, Lyon and Rouen inaugurate or extend the implementation of their low emission zone on Thursday, targeting the oldest and polluting vehicles.
franceinfo: What are the changes in the metropolis of Toulouse today?
Francois Chollet: The ZFE is extended to trucks and vans with a Crit’Air 4 sticker. Until now, it concerned Crit’Air 5, the most polluting heavy goods vehicles. Light vehicles will only be concerned from January 1, 2023. 45,000 vehicles will be concerned in 2024, when the ZFE will be deployed in function, i.e. approximately 16% of the vehicle fleet.
We are still in an educational phase, with random checks. It is planned that the controls will be done by reading plates, with cameras, from the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024. The decree is issued for ten years. We have tried to optimize the perimeter and its conditions to have the best gain in air quality and the least inconvenience for users.
How to support professionals in particular, who have not all been able to invest in a new utility?
It’s a constraint, so it requires anticipation. We have ensured that this ZFE is progressive in its application. This is also the reason why we anticipated aid for individuals and professionals more than 18 months ago.
We have the possibility of making transitional derogations on a case-by-case basis, which may be justified, for example for construction vehicles or public utility associations such as the Restos du Cœur. There are vehicle renewal aids for professionals, up to 10,000 euros per vehicle. These aids have a certain success, they are taken. And there are negotiations on a case-by-case basis, so as to be able to minimize the economic impact on these professionals, while not distorting the benefit of the ZFE, which is major for air quality.
What are the expected effects of the ZFE?
The models presented have shown us that in 2024, 450,000 people in an urban area of 780,000 will see a clear improvement in air quality. It is absolutely important. There are nearly 8,000 people in Toulouse who are permanently above the resistance thresholds for nitrogen oxides, this number will be reduced.