Crit’Air 3 vehicles to be allowed limited access to Paris in 2025
The new 12-day rule will affect 422,000 private vehicles and 59,000 commercial vehicles in Greater Paris
In France, 12 major towns and cities have already introduced an ZFE
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Vehicles with a Crit’Air 3 polluting rating are set to be banned from driving in Greater Paris from January 2025 but will be granted access for 12 days a year.
Vehicles classified as Crit'Air 3 (diesel cars registered before 2011 and petrol cars registered before 2006) will be banned from driving in the zone à faible émission (ZFE, low emission zone) in Greater Paris from January 1, 2025. The ZFE covers 77 of the 131 municipalities in the Paris area.
This applies to 422,000 private vehicles and 59,000 commercial vehicles in Greater Paris, according to a study by the Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme (Apur) in 2023.
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However, drivers will be granted a “waiver” of this rule for 12 days a year, the Greater Paris metropolitan authority announced on October 7.
Drivers of Crit’Air 3 cars will be allowed to drive within the ZFE perimeter using a 24-hour “ZFE pass” for a maximum of 12 days in the year. Drivers can activate the pass by simply “registering” online before they wish to use it.
Assistance for professionals
Paris is also set to provide assistance for professionals who must use their vehicle to come into the city to “reduce the remaining costs of purchasing less polluting vehicles”, said David Belliard, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of transport.
The aid will be focused “particularly for very small businesses and SMEs”, he said.
Similarly, the 12-day limit could be extended, said Patrick Ollier, the president of the Greater Paris metropolitan area.
Reduce pollution and congestion
ZFEs, which are becoming more common in cities across Europe, are intended to help reduce pollution and congestion, improve air quality, encourage drivers to buy and use less-polluting vehicles, and to use more public transport options.
In France, 12 major towns and cities have already introduced an ZFE: Paris, Lyon, Aix-Marseille-Provence, Nice, Toulouse, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Reims, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, and Clermont-Ferrand.
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In the ZFEs of Lyon (Rhône Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie), there is also a waiver system in place.
