Paris recently became the fourth city in France to bring in limits on driving within its city limits, through a zone à trafic limité (ZTL).
This zone covers the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arrondissements of the city, and bans many drivers from entering. Eligibility to enter is generally dependent on the purpose of the driver’s trip and where they live.
Those who frequently drive through Paris may know where these arrondissements begin and end. Road signs are now showing where the ZTL begins for those less sure.
The signs have also been installed in the three other cities where a ZTL is in place – Grenoble, Nantes, and Rennes.
Failure to respect ZTL rules can incur a €135 fine.
In Paris where the zone was only implemented at the beginning of November, an educational period is taking place for six months, with drivers being informed of the new rules if they are in contravention of them, but not being fined.
Even if you are not planning to drive through any of the four cities anytime soon, being aware of the signs can be useful, as ZTLs may be implemented elsewhere.
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They show a red circle with a white interior, and the words ‘voies à accès réservé’.
In some cases, the red circle may be shown on road signs before the ZTL, indicating to drivers that turning into a road will lead them into the zone (an example of this is the photo on the left-hand side below).
When exiting a zone, signs show a grey circle with a white interior, and a black line going diagonally through it, with the words ‘fin de voies à accès réservé’.
