Low emission zone Lyon

Important!

Lyon has five environmental zones: Lyon ZFE Central, Lyon ZFE Extended, Lyon ZFE Central Ring, Lyon ZPA, Lyon Eco-lanes North, Lyon Eco-lanes South

Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Lyon ZFE Central - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-01-2020

Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, 0:00 - 24:00h

Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable

Not allowed to drive (permanently): Van (N1), lorry (N2, N3): without vignette as well as vehicles with vignette 5, 4, 3
Car, Motorhomes (M1), Motorcycles (L): without vignette as well as vehicles that have a vignette 5, 4

Fines: 68 € - 450 €

Area/extension of the environmental zone: The ZFE in the Greater Lyon area includes almost all neighbourhoods of Lyon, parts of the towns of Villeurbanne, Bron and Vénissieux within the ring road (Laurent Bonnevay), as well as the entire town of Caluire-et-Cuire. The M6 and M7 motorways and the ring road are now within the zone.

Special features: The Lyon ZFE zone is located within the Lyon ZPA zone. For this reason, when an air pollution alert is triggered in the ZPA zone, these driving bans also apply in the ZFE. Privately used vans (N1) with stickers 3 and 4 are exempt from the driving ban upon application to the city.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: https://demarches.toodego.com/sve/zone-a-faibles-emissions-demande-d-une-derogation/

Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus, Waste collection vehicle, Ambulance and VASP

Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Lyon ZFE Extended - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-09-2024

Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, 0:00 - 24:00h

Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable

Not allowed to drive (permanently): Driving ban for vehicles without sticker and with sticker 5.

Fines: 68-450 €

Area/extension of the environmental zone: The Extended Low Emission Zone consists of the municipalities adjacent to the Central Low Emission Zone. This includes the parts of the districts of Villeurbanne, Bron and Vénissieux that lie outside the Laurent Bonnevay motorway. Also the following municipalities: Pierre-Bénite, Saint-Genis-Laval, Oullins, La Mulatière, Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Sathonay-Camp, Fontaines-sur-Saône, Rillieux-la-Pape, Vaulx-en-Velin, Saint-Fons, Chassieu, Saint-Priest, Décines-Charpieu, Mions and Corbas.
From 1.9.2023, the Laurent-Bonnevay bypass and the M6 (as far as Dardilly) and M7 (from the Lyon city limits) motorways will also be part of the extended zone.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: https://demarches.toodego.com/sve/zone-a-faibles-emissions-demande-d-une-derogation/

Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus, Ambulance and VASP

Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Lyon ZFE Central Ring - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-01-2028

Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, 0:00 - 24:00h

Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable

Not allowed to drive (permanently): Van (N1), lorry (N2, N3): without vignette as well as vehicles with vignette 5, 4, 3
Car, Motorhomes (M1), Motorcycles (L): without vignette as well as vehicles that have a vignette 5, 4, 3

Fines: 68-450 €

Area/extension of the environmental zone: The ZFE Lyon central ring road is made up of the following motorways: M6, M7, Boulevard périphérique nord de Lyon (BPNL), Boulevard Laurent Bonnevay.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: https://demarches.toodego.com/sve/zone-a-faibles-emissions-demande-d-une-derogation/

Exemptions: Information currently unavailable

Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone ZPA Lyon - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 12-12-2016

Type of environmental zone: temporary, weather-related air protection zone, active when pollution limits are exceeded

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: All roads within the cities of Lyon and Villeurbanne belong to the territory of the ZPA air protection zone of Lyon. The main axes A6, A7, A42 as well as the A6 tunnel through the Fourvière Hill are banned from traffic.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable

Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus and Ambulance

Name of the environmental zone: Eco-lanes North Lyon - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 21-12-2020

Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, Mon - Fri 0h-24h

Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles up to 3.5 t that do not have a green French sticker for electric or hydrogen propulsion.

Not allowed to drive (permanently): All vehicles over 3.5 t are always prohibited (M1, M2, N2, N3).

Fines: 135 €

Area/extension of the environmental zone: The eco-lane is available on two routes outside the city centre: To the north on the M6 (formerly A6) between the Guard interchange (commune of Dardilly, junction 33) and the Valvert interchange (commune of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, junction 36). To the south, it is on the M7 (formerly A7) between the Musée des Confluences (right at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône) and the A450. The eco-lanes are on the left-hand side of the road in both directions. You can recognise the eco-lane by the white diamond. It is located outside Lyon ZFE and Lyon ZPA.

Special features: Carpooling (from 2 persons incl. driver) only applies to vehicles under 3.5 t.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable

Exemptions: Public bus, Taxi and Carpools

Name of the environmental zone: Eco-lanes South Lyon - France

Date of entry into effect of the zone: 21-12-2020

Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, Mon - Fri 0h-24h

Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles up to 3.5 t that do not have a green French sticker for electric or hydrogen propulsion.

Not allowed to drive (permanently): All vehicles over 3.5 t are always prohibited (M1, M2, N2, N3).

Fines: 135 €

Area/extension of the environmental zone: The eco-lane is available on two routes outside the city centre: To the north on the M6 (formerly A6) between the Guard interchange (commune of Dardilly, junction 33) and the Valvert interchange (commune of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, junction 36). To the south, it is on the M7 (formerly A7) between the Musée des Confluences (right at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône) and the A450. The eco-lanes are on the left-hand side of the road in both directions. You can recognise the eco-lane by the white diamond. It is located outside Lyon ZFE and Lyon ZPA.

Special features: Carpooling (from 2 persons incl. driver) only applies to vehicles under 3.5 t.

Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable

Exemptions: Public bus, Taxi and Carpools

Environmental zone ZFE

Do I need stickers or registrations?

To enter the low emission zone, each vehicle concerned requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air). Otherwise, a fine of 68 euros to 375 euros is to be expected.

The ZFE zones (Zone à Faibles Émissions), which were still called ZCR zones from 2016 to the end of 2019, are fixed zones that can be identified by traffic signs.
The establishment of a ZFE in France is the responsibility of the respective city or municipality and is regulated by the national decree Décret ZCR 2016-847 of 28.06.2016. After a 6-month legal consultation procedure, which also provides for a right of participation of affected persons, the zone can come into force.
In order to be able to travel in the ZFE environmental zones established by cities or municipalities in France, a Certificat qualité de l'Air is then required, which is allocated to 6 categories.

The respective city or commune determines which sticker classes may enter when. On an additional sign, under the actual ZFE sign, days and times are indicated at which one may enter with a certain French vignette.

 

In the long term, more and more vignette categories are being excluded from entering low emission zones, so that in some years only categories E and 1 will be allowed to enter.
In a ZFE zone, vignette colours are permanently excluded and do not depend on the respective weather conditions. However, it is possible that a ZFE and a ZPA zone overlap. If driving bans are then imposed within the ZPA zone due to the weather, these also apply to the ZFE/zone. In this case, the rules of the ZPA also apply to the ZFE zone.
However, if the ZFE zone is not within a ZPA zone, this case cannot occur and the rules are unchangeable.

The beginning and end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as a prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone).  Exactly who may or may not enter the zone 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.

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.

Environmental zone ZPA

Do I need stickers or registrations?

If there is a peak in air pollution and the ZPA 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.

ZPA zones ("zones de protection de l'air") do not apply permanently, but are only active during bad weather and high air pollution. They can cover the areas of entire large municipalities (known as "metropolitan areas" in French) or a specific geographical area. The outlines of each air protection zone are therefore precisely defined in advance.
Since ZPA zones are only valid in the event of a peak in air pollution, the traffic restrictions laid down in a decree only apply if predefined air pollution limits are exceeded. In this case, certain vignette colours are excluded from traffic in order to reduce pollutant emissions. For each air protection zone, recommendations have been drawn up in advance as to which vignette colours should be excluded in the event of severe air pollution. However, in the specific case of air pollution this is always decided by the prefect of the department first.

The mostly large ZPA air protection zones within a department are usually not signposted. In the 95 departments of continental France, it is therefore almost impossible for non-residents to see the exact extent of a ZPA air protection zone. In accordance with article R411-19 of the French Road Code, the decision to create an air protection zone and to define the local rules applicable there falls to the prefect of each department. Once the ZPA zone has been decided, it is legally published in a décret issued by the prefect.

The traffic restrictions decided in a CPA do not come into force on the same day as they are announced. They are usually announced in the afternoon or evening for the following day. The driving bans then apply throughout the ZPA. In case there is an urban ZCR zone within the ZPA zone, its rules are overridden during an air pollution peak. Only after the end of the air pollution peak will the permanent traffic restrictions for vignette categories apply again within the ZCR zone.

ZPA 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 ZPA 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.

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.

What are eco lanes?

An eco lane is a special lane for particularly low-emission and therefore environmentally friendly vehicles. The environmental lane may only be used by vehicles that meet certain emission standards. These include, for example, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or vehicles that run on hydrogen. By using the environmental lane, these vehicles are rewarded and gain an advantage in traffic, for example by passing through faster. The environmental lane can be established in certain cities or on certain road sections and is intended to help relieve traffic congestion while reducing pollutant emissions. It is also possible for environmental lanes to be closed entirely to individual traffic and only public transport and bicycles are allowed.

The goal of the environmental lane is to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles and reduce pollutant emissions. This will help improve air quality and support the transition to more sustainable mobility.
It is important to emphasize that the environmental lane is not a panacea, but only one part of a broader approach to making road transport less harmful to the environment. Additional measures such as the promotion of public transport or the introduction of measures to reduce car traffic are also necessary to achieve sustainable mobility.

Good to know...

All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.


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