New environmental zone rules in February 2023

Germany 

Following a court order, the city of Munich (Bavaria) will introduce a new diesel driving ban zone (NOx zone) as part of its clean air plan. The implementation will take place in 3 stages - the first of which will start on 01.02.2023 with the ban of diesel vehicles with exhaust emission standard Euro4 (and worse). Euro5 diesels and vehicles with corresponding hardware retrofitting will therefore not be affected initially. However, only in the case of non-compliance with the limit values will the next stage take place, which will include stricter regulations for entering the affected area. Some exemptions are foreseen for the NOx zone, such as for residents, delivery traffic, shift and care workers and tradesmen with parking permits. The same applies to access and return journeys from the Grossmarkthalle via the Mittlerer Ring and the "Schäftlarnstraße" corridor, from the motorail train (Munich-Ostbahnhof) via the Mittlerer Ring, from the Olympiastadion -Parkharfe car park on the occasion of visiting events on the Olympic grounds via the southern access and exit (Dachauer Straße, Landshuter Allee, Toni-Merkens-Weg, Sapporobogen) and from camping cars from the Thalkirchen campsite via the Mittlerer Ring. (Dachauer Straße, Landshuter Allee, Toni-Merkens-Weg, Sapporobogen) and camping vehicles from the Thalkirchen campsite via the Mittlerer Ring. However, it is sometimes necessary to apply for a special permit for this. Anyone who, for example, has to drive across the Ring or into the city centre on business can apply for a special permit. This costs 50 euros per year - a rather low price that could jeopardise the effectiveness of the diesel driving ban zone. 

In addition, the green environmental zone, which geographically coincides with the area of the diesel driving ban zone, is also expanding. Not only the streets within the Mittlerer Ring, but also the ring itself - with the exception of the Brudermühlbrücke through the tunnel to the B11 - are now included in the environmental zone. 

England 

In England, on the other hand, the city of Sheffield (Yorkshire), as well as Newcastle and Gateshead in Greater Tyneside, are introducing a new Low Emission Zone. In Sheffield this will cover the inner ring road and the city centre - in Tyneside it will cover most of Newcastle city centre, including routes over the Tyne, Swing, Redheugh and High Level bridges. While the new Low Emission Zone in Sheffield will not come into force until the end of the month, on 27 February, the new rules for the Low Emission Zone in Newcastle-Gateshead have been in place since the end of January. Both cities have a Class C Low Emission Zone. It is permanent and applies to diesel vehicles in categories 0 to 5, and petrol vehicles in categories 0 to 3. Any taxis - including Hackney Carriages and private hire vehicles - that are under Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol are therefore banned from entering the zone. The same applies in Sheffield and Newcastle-Gateshead for buses, coaches and lorries under Euro6 (diesel) and light commercial vehicles under Euro6 (diesel) or Euro4 (petrol). In addition, in Sheffield, motorhomes with a gross vehicle weight over 3.5t are also affected by the ban. Indeed, only passenger cars, vintage vehicles over 40 years old and emergency vehicles are exempt, along with residents. Access to the Low Emission Zone in Sheffield, as in Tyneside, is regulated by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). However, vehicles that do not meet the criteria can pay an entry fee for each day they enter the zone. This would be approximately £10-£12.50 per day for vans and taxis; £50 per day in the case of coaches, buses and HGVs. 

France  

No new low emission zones will come into force in France this month. However, car-free Sunday initiatives, which have been in place for some time, are confirmed. In Paris and Bordeaux, all vehicles - with the exception of taxis, delivery vans, residents and carers - will have to stop on the first Sunday of every month. In the French capital, the driving ban will be in place from 10am to 6pm, covering the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd arrondissements (i.e. the right bank in the centre) and the Champs-Élysées. In the centre of Bordeaux, the times for car-free Sundays vary according to the season: the driving ban is in force between 10am and 6pm from November to February, and between 10am and 7pm from March to October. There is no car-free Sunday in August.  

Also not to be forgotten are all the already active low emission zones in Germany, England and France - as well as in the rest of Europe. As always, all information is available on our website and in the Green Zones app.