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Tag: low emission zone

Poor air quality in Lille - ZFE to remedy the situation

The French metropolis of Lille is preparing to introduce a low emission zone (ZFE-m) from 1 January 2025 in order to improve air quality. This low emission zone will restrict the circulation of vehicles with stickers 4 and 5 as well as unclassified vehicles in order to reduce emissions of air pollutants and improve local air quality. There are already more than 300 such zones in Europe, which have shown positive results in reducing pollutant emissions and improving air quality.


More low emission zones - fewer sick children!

Children who grow up in low emission zones are less likely to have asthma - that is an incontrovertible fact. A new study shows that driving bans for older diesel cars actually have a positive effect on children's health. The analysis of health insurance data showed that children who are exposed to less particulate matter need less asthma medication.


Rouen ZFE - Entry conditions are relaxed

The metropolis of Rouen recently introduced an important change to the low emission zone to make life easier for the city's motorists. Previously, only vehicles with stickers 1-3 were allowed to drive freely in the low emission zone, while vehicles with higher stickers were subject to restrictions. From 1 July 2024, however, a new "ZFE pass" will be introduced, which will also allow vehicles with class 4 and 5 stickers and unclassified vehicles to enter the low emission zone.


Low emission zones in Austria - stickers instead of fines

Austria is actively committed to clean air. Low emission zones have been set up in six out of nine federal states. These zones were created to reduce emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides and thus protect the environment. The focus is particularly on delivery traffic, as it is considered to be the main source of these harmful emissions. However, it is likely that this regulation will also be extended to passenger transport in the future, as the EU directives on particulate matter and nitrogen oxides are not yet fully complied with.


Stuttgart: a constant battle for better air

In Stuttgart, the city with the most cars per inhabitant in Germany, air pollution control is a constant source of controversy and a constant challenge. For 25 years, the city has been trying to comply with EU limits for clean air and has taken a number of measures to achieve this. But what has really helped and is the air in Stuttgart cleaner today?


Stockholm bans petrol and diesel cars from the city centre from 2025 - a role model for other major cities or an experimental laboratory at the expense of citizens?

The Swedish capital Stockholm has set itself an ambitious goal: From 2025, petrol and diesel cars are to be banned from the city centre. The EU Commission has given the green light for the introduction of a new low emission zone. But is the plan really feasible or just another symbolic political measure by the green-red coalition?


Are night-time environmental zones coming?

The Berlin Green Party recently presented a proposal to equalise the traffic congestion in the capital. The idea is to shift delivery and commercial traffic to the night-time hours. According to Antje Kapek, transport spokesperson for the Greens, this proposal should help to ensure that delivery vehicles, refuse collection, care services and doctors get stuck less in congested and parked-up streets during the day. Low-noise and low-emission lorries could increasingly drive into cities at night and on special routes.


Bicycle instead of car - Paris in transition

A study by a public foundation has shown that more than one in ten journeys in Paris and the surrounding area are made by bicycle. This is a remarkable increase compared to 14 years ago, when less than one in thirty journeys were made by bike. Paris seems to have been endeavouring to change its transport policy for years. With more cycle paths and cycle lanes, fewer car parks and higher parking charges, the city is trying to promote cycling and reduce car traffic. But what does this mean for the existing low emission zone?


Anti-pollution zones for classic cars?

The world of classic cars is always on the move. On the one hand, there is nostalgia and the desire to keep the history of the automotive industry alive. On the other hand, there is the need to adapt to the constantly changing conditions and regulations regarding the environment and sustainability. A recent development in this context is the new "Villes et villages d'accueil des véhicules d'époque" label, which was launched by the French Federation of Historic Vehicles (FFVE). But what exactly is behind this label and what does it mean for the environmental zones?