Emission zones along a route

[TJBi]

An interesting reply from the Crit Air people.

"You can only apply for a sticker for your motor home if you can show proof of at least Euro 2.
According to the registration date, your vehicle is too old and you cannot purchase a sticker and therefore you can no longer enter France with this vehicle.

If your vehicle has Euro 2, you can easily apply for a sticker in our shop.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen / best regards

Frau Anneka Kroehnert

So I guess I need to establish if my van is Euro 1 or 2. I have questioned the bit about no longer being able to enter France as surely its just the effected zones. Mind you I never bothered with any stickers last year anyway. Maybe it will be like the Breathlyser and everyone will ignore it. There must be millions of old vehicles driving about, many probably older than mine. What are they going to do, ban them all?
"

I would agree with you that the ban on entering France may be an exaggeration, but last year the scheme was in its infancy; it is now spreading like wildfire. It appears to rely on visual enforcement by humans, so perhaps one might get away with driving in areas in which one is supposed to display a sticker, but I am not suggesting that one should attempt this. My motorhome does, fortunately, qualify for a sticker, and I obtained mine in early 2017 just in case I ventured, by choice or unintentionally, into one of the then very few areas that were in the scheme.
I must say that I worry about what would happen if I was banned from driving in an area in which I had stopped and needed either to get to a service point urgently in order to obtain fresh water for example, or to get to a ferry port for my booked return to the UK (with all sorts of implications in terms of missed crossings, exceeding the maximum number of days away in respect of househhold and travel insurance, etc.).

 

[mark61]

Yes, sure Anneka has that bit wrong, and yes all vehicles will be banned according to class on days when high pollution is expected.
Didn't bother with one last year, even though was going through Paris, but I'll be getting one this year.

 

[barryd]

I’m afraid Frau Anneka is wrong. It is only the zones you will not be able to enter. In some towns you will not be able to enter at all, but geographical zones will have restrictions on which stickers will be able to enter when they announce pollution is bad. This will be temporary.

Thanks. I notice on the various Maps that Annecy is now included as well as a few big lumps of green you cannot really avoid. Annecy and the Alps is an area we visit a lot. So it would appear that the permanent zones will be the towns but that the restriction could apply for certain times for the entire area is that correct? That could get interesting for me at least if I Cant get a sticker. I could get besieged and not be able to move for days! Doesnt bother me too much as I tend to leave the van somewhere and use the bike but I guess it will just have to be a case of winging it and seeing if you get fined or not. Might well change vans anyway but ive been trying to do that for years with no success.

Its bonkers though as how do they expect you on holiday to listen to the radio (in French) the day before to find out if you can set off the following day? 1 in 10 French vehicles I gather do not meet any of the standards as well.

This is the current map screenshot from the Crit Air site

 

[jacquigem]

So if I have a sticker I can go thou the green zones ?

 

[mark61]

I think the ban on petrols before 1996 and diesels before 2001 runs from 8AM to 8PM Mon>Fri.
Might have to do more night driving.

 

[TJBi]

I think the ban on petrols before 1996 and diesels before 2001 runs from 8AM to 8PM Mon>Fri.
Might have to do more night driving.

In Paris.

 

[mark61]

In Paris.

Yes, thats right. Thanks for pointing that out.

Going to need to keep more up to date on this as it's changing quickly.

 

[Snapster]

If a green zone invokes any restrictions, they will take effect the day after the announcement so you should be able to avoid the zones or get out of them should you need to. I doubt they will be invoked regularly or last too long.
I’ll be avoiding Paris anyway!
We are currently on the med near the Spanish border. No problems here which is good because I didn’t know about the green zones till a few days ago and we have no Crit air sticker.
Mind you, I haven’t seen any other vehicles displaying them either.
6 vehicles in the aire with us, no stickers!

 

[BGT180]

For information, I am about to have the windscreen replaced and the Crit air sticker is firmly stuck to broken screen. Emailed in my “ immaculate “ French asking for a replacement. Have been advised to reapply again through their website which I have today and paid 4.80€. Anyone else had the same experience?

 

[witzend]

For information, I am about to have the windscreen replaced and the Crit air sticker is firmly stuck to broken screen.. Anyone else had the same experience?

Yes with the German one same as you had to buy another, It is an offence if their not stuck as intended and when thats done you can't save them

 

[Snapster]

We have driven well over 1000 miles in France in the last few weeks, including around Bordeaux and Toulouse and have seen a grand total of ........ 2 Crit air stickers on cars.
I don’t think the French are taking this seriously!