Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Athen Big Ring - Greece
Type of environmental zone: Zone of air protection, depending on weather conditions and activated if the pollutant values exceed, for example, >50 µg/m³ for particulate matter.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Weight: > 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle class: M1, M2, M3, N1, N2, N3
2019: Year of first registration < 1996
2020: Year of first registration < 1997
2021: Year of first registration < 1998
etc.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 200 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The zone covers the entire urban area.
Special features: Vehicles registered abroad (e.g. rental cars) are only affected by the driving ban if they stay over 40 days in Greece.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Traffic Division of Attika (Dievthysi Trochaias Attikis)
Th. Diliyianni 24-26, 4th floor, Athens
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Athen Small Ring – Greece
Type of environmental zone: Permanent, 30.09.2019 - 17.07.2020, Monday - Thursday 07 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 07 a.m.-3 p.m.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Weight: > 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
on even days (e.g. 02.10. or 24.11.):
Weight: ≤ 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
Plate number: odd (1,3,5,7,9)
on odd days (e.g. 03.10. or 25.11.):
Weight: ≤ 2.2 t
Country of registration: Greece
Vehicle type: car, motor home (M1), bus (M2, M3), van (N1), truck (N2, N3)
Plate number: even (0,2,4,6,8)
Fines: 200 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The roads that border the ring are viewed from above (north) clockwise:
Leof. Alexandras, Leof. Vas. Sofias, Messogeion, Michalakopoulou, Merkouri Spyrou, Vryaxidos, Ymittou, Ilia Iliou, Frantzi Am., Kallirrois, Tsaldari Pan., Hamosternas, Tsaldari Pan., Peiraios, Iera Odos, Leof. Konstantinoupoleos, Achilleos, Karolou, Marni.
Special features: Each year a new time period is set for the environmental zone. Usually from September to July of the following year.
Vehicles registered abroad (e.g. rental cars) are only affected by the driving ban if they stay in Greece for more than 40 days.
Electric (hybrid) vehicles, as well as LPG or CNG vehicles with at least EURO standard 4 and maximum 140 g CO₂/km may always enter the zone. This also applies to vehicles with EURO standard 5 and maximum 140 g CO₂/km as well as with EURO standard 6.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Traffic Division of Attika (Dievthysi Trochaias Attikis)
Th. Diliyianni 24-26, 4th floor, Athens
Exemptions: Information currently unavailable
Low Emission Zone
Do I need stickers or registrations?
No. Here you do not need to buy a sticker or apply for registration. You only have to follow the rules of entry.
Our Green-Zones App helps you to avoid penalties.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
Unfortunately there are no exact street signs known. Therefore it is difficult to know when you are in the environmental zone.
Our Green-Zones App helps you to avoid penalties.
Good to know...
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
Trucks will be charged dearly
In Baden-Württemberg, a truck toll is soon to be introduced for rural and municipal roads in order to be able to finance road maintenance. In the Netherlands, the toll has just been postponed again. Its profits should largely be invested in the sustainability of freight transport.
Exhaust emissions scandal: VW continues to cheat
According to measurements, FiatChrysler and VW motorhomes exceed the permitted exhaust emission limits many times over. Once again, politicians just stand by and do nothing.
E-cars are joke of the race car world
The electric car seems ready neither for the road nor for the race track. At this weekend's Formula E chaos race, 15 cars ran out of power on the last lap. They had to cross the finish line at walking speed.
Citizens call for the end of combustion cars
A good two-thirds of citizens in Europe would like to see the end of petrol and diesel cars. Environmental zones and the e-car boom seem to be causing a change in thinking, with more and more people wanting to live in clean and quiet cities with green spaces and car-free zones.
New environmental zones against microplastics?
Abrasion from tyres, brakes and the road creates a lot of microplastics. This not only accumulates in soil and water, but is also released into the air, where it is absorbed by humans through the respiratory tract. So in addition to particulate matter, microplastics must also be regulated as quickly as possible. Could there soon be environmental zones to combat the small plastic particles?
What is the most polluting means of travel?
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Whether electric or hydrogen - there is a lack of infrastructure
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Grace period for diesel in Germany
Strict emission tests for diesel vehicles in Germany will be postponed for two years. Actually, the new measurement procedures were announced for 2021. The German Environmental Aid criticises that the Ministry of Transport is doing too little against dirty diesels on the roads to protect the car industry.
Microplastics: How tyres harm the environment
Microplastics and fine dust are released into the environment in large quantities through the abrasion of tyres and thus enter soils and water bodies. The effects of microplastics on local ecosystems are still poorly understood. Experts are calling for better collection technology and stricter traffic concepts to reduce environmental pollution.
Scrappage scheme: France backs bicycles
French people who trade in their combustion engine for an electric bicycle will in future receive €2,500 from the state. This is not intended to make vehicles greener in the transport transition, but to reduce their overall number. A similar push in Germany fell on deaf ears from politicians.