Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Hérault/Montpellier ZPAd - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 04-08-2017
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 Hérault. 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. Possible affected highways in the department are the A9 and A75.
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.
Train drivers' strike damages mobility change
The current train drivers' strike has almost completely stopped passenger transport - and that during the holiday season. This shows that the alternatives to the car cannot be relied upon.
USA goes electric
By the end of the decade, 50% of new cars in the USA are to be electric. Biden has signed an executive order and wants to invest 174 billion US dollars. The carmakers are behind the plan to remain internationally competitive.
Paris: Driving bans are not enough
The highest French court has sentenced France to a fine of millions. Air pollution in Paris and Lyon is too high. Despite the many measures around reducing traffic and tightening the rules in the environmental zones, the air is still enormously dirty and harmful to health.
Politicians continue to drive diesel
The British climate envoy drives a diesel. Like many other politicians, also in Germany, she does not yet dare to drive an e-car - because of the lack of range and too long charging time. If even the politicians are not convinced, why should we be?
Environmental zone offensive in Spain
In the next few years, owners of old vehicles will have a hard time in Spain. The largest environmental zone in Europe is being introduced in Madrid. In the rest of the country, the number of low emission zones will increase 30-fold!
Electric promotion in Europe
There are to be 30 million e-cars on the roads in the EU by 2030. The countries and the EU itself are therefore boosting the market with premiums and tax benefits for e-car drivers. Here is an overview.
The Multishop - Celebrating the first month with discounts
Car-free city centre rejected
Germans do not want to give up the car. More than half of them are against car-free city centres. Even among younger citizens, who tend to be more in favour of reducing car traffic, there is no majority in favour of locking out car traffic.
Environmental zones for e-cars?
Electric cars could soon be affected by the restrictions imposed by environmental zones. Due to their high particulate matter production, the OECD demands that the emissions of electric cars be taken into account in driving bans. Manufacturers like Daimler would then have to switch to significantly smaller models or filter systems.
What are the exemptions in the environmental zones?
In order to reduce air pollution, stickers and registrations can only be issued to vehicles that comply with the specified emission standards. However, there are various exceptions to the sticker and registration requirement. As with all other rules in the environmental zones, these vary greatly from country to country.