Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Deux-Sèvres/Niort ZPAd - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 07-04-2017
Type of environmental zone: Regional zone of air protection ZPAd, depending on weather conditions and activated after an early warning stage, if the pollutant values exceed, for example, > 50 µg/m³ for particulate matter and following the prefect’s decision.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles without a badge and vehicles with insufficient badge class, depending on the level and duration of the air pollution peak.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 68-450 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The ZPAd zone covers theoretically the entire Department of Deux-Sèvres. In case of pollution peak, a press release issued by the prefect will define the exact borders of the activated zone and announce the entry into force of the area. The A10 and A83 highways within the Department may be affected.
Special features: Depending on the type, duration and level of air pollution, the borders of one or several zones within the department change. The prefect can decide to ban several badge classes from traffic.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Environmental zone ZPAd
Do I need stickers or registrations?
If there is a peak in air pollution and the ZPAd zone is activated, each affected vehicle requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air) to enter the low emission zone. Otherwise, a fine of between 68 euros and 375 euros is to be expected.
You can find out whether a ZPAd zone is active and which vignette is affected by the driving ban in our Green-Zones App.
What is a ZPAd zone?
ZPAd ("zone de protection de l'air départementale") are air protection zones that apply to an entire department. It is not possible to define in advance in which local areas within the ZPAd traffic restrictions will occur due to a peak in air pollution. In the event of a peak in air pollution, the respective initial decree provides for specific traffic restrictions, so that only then is the area within the department determined in a specific police decree, in which specific measures are then taken. In theory, even an entire department could be affected by a concrete measure, but this is relatively unlikely.
In any case, the prefect of the department is responsible for imposing driving bans where necessary (e.g. in one or more communes, on a motorway or within the entire department), based on data supplied to him by the regional air protection institute. The Certificat qualité de l'Air Vignette, which must be excluded from traffic, is also decided in these cases.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
ZPAd zones are only activated temporarily. The size and dimensions of the zone are completely individual. This is determined by the respective prefect, depending on the intensity of air pollution. Therefore there are no special signs for ZPAd zones.
The situation is different for the ZFE zones. There, the beginning and the end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone). Who exactly is allowed to enter or not is not indicated by the entry sign.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Are there other low emission zones in France?
Yes, a lot of them. France has over 30 different environmental zones. These differ in ZFE (permanent), ZPA (temporary) and ZPAd (temporary département) zones.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
Good to know...
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
Diesel driving bans on the advance
Environmental zones and environmental tracks are currently hanging like a sword of Damocles over several communities and cities in Germany. As displeasure grows in Düsseldorf over the three environmental tracks already installed, representatives of the cities of Bonn and Dortmund have reached an out-of-court agreement with Deutsche Umwelthilfe in Münster, Westphalia.
Berlin prepares for
Berlin is currently receiving new electronically operated vehicles for its huge bus network. The buses were already ordered in the past calendar year and will be produced by the Polish manufacturer Solaris.
Wuppertal adjourned
It seems to be part of the good tone these days to postpone negotiations and/or leave us in the dark about the outcome. Latest example of this "trend": Wuppertal
Friedrichstraße in the test
It is one of the most famous streets in Germany: Berlin's Friedrichstrasse. Through a pilot project, the shopping street in Mitte will now be car-free for half a year.
With inventive talent against air pollution
In the fight for clean air, new paths are being taken. For a long time now, people have no longer wanted to rely exclusively on environmental zones, driving bans or even the unwelcome eco lanes.
New Update
New zones and new rules for us, that means a new app update for you:
It's getting serious
The outcome of the legal dispute between the Organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and several cities in NRW, which is going into the home stretch in the middle of this week, is awaited with excitement.
Secrecy around Hagen
At the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster, conciliation talks were held yesterday between the organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe, the state of NRW and the two cities of Wuppertal and Hagen.
Model Eco Lane in the upwind?
Apart from the traditional feud with Cologne, Düsseldorf's soul is currently not as excited as the environmental footprints that have been active in the state capital since Easter 2019.
Punch and Judy show from Stuttgart
Today in NRW and other parts of Germany the so-called fifth season begins: Carnival. If you look to Stuttgart at the moment, you might think that here too, the Jecken have taken over the town hall in carnival tradition.