The candor of rulers is sometimes unfathomable when it comes to touching their constituents on a daily basis. It has been demonstrated many times that the lack of knowledge of the problems encountered by the French has provoked vigorous opposition from public opinion. Hearing of some precedents affecting motorists in particular, the senators cautiously decided to launch an Internet consultation on the implementation of low-emission zones in cities with populations over 150,000.
After the place of scooters in Paris or the future of the device, here is another consultation which is not the least important. Simple and fast, this online consultation takes less than ten minutes, we have experienced it. It’s open until Sunday, May 14, 2023 and available here.
The questions suggest standard answers that are sometimes quite naive, but, fortunately, a space is provided to provide a personalized comment. The volunteers, of whom it is hoped will be numerous, will have to answer for example: “Are you in favor of the establishment of EPZs? “; “Are you planning to switch vehicles to a clean one as a result of the EPZs being put in place? “; “Are you aware of possible financial aid for the acquisition of a clean vehicle? “.
Indifference is not appropriate because everyone is affected by these restrictions, which initially target the 43 cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants in France. But there is no doubt that the gauge will then be lowered to concern even more people, the objective being to authorize the sale, on the horizon very close to 2030, of cars having reduced their emissions by 50% by compared to the 95 g of mid-range currently imposed. And in 2035, the only zero-emission cars. Suffice to say that all the others will inevitably be prohibited and you will have to either abandon your car in a parking lot at the gates of the city and take public transport, or switch to an electrified model while waiting for other hypothetical solutions of clean motorization.
But for the moment, the determination of anti-car activists is beginning to weaken in the face of the discontent that is beginning to be expressed among some citizens. Greater Paris, at the forefront of the subject, will probably further postpone the ban on Crit’air 3 (diesel before 2011, gasoline before 2006) by one year. According to indiscretions that have leaked, it will take place after the Games instead of July 2022 as originally planned. It would therefore be the end of 2024, the beginning of 2025 for a measure that concerns 380,000 vehicles. Other major cities have already revised their schedules assuming that over time many of these cars will reach the end of their life.
Rebound on the other hand with regard to diesel, covered by an outright ban by the mere fact that it is diesel. According to Renaissance MP Jean-Luc Fugit, interviewed by our colleague Autoactu.com and one of the instigators of the ZFEs, the latter assures that the law does not impose a ban on Crit’Air 2 vehicles including recent diesels be part of. Discrimination of technology would in this respect be unjustifiable. It also recalls that the establishment of EPZs is not necessary for cities that have not reached the set pollution limit thresholds.
