What does the Nantes ZFE look like?
Its perimeter includes the entire interior of the Nantes ring road. The expressways (N844, A844, A11 and A811) are excluded to allow through traffic. Access to the park-and-ride lots (P+R) located near the ring road also remains authorized for all vehicles.
How does it work?
Circulation in the ZFE of vehicles not classified on the Crit'Air scale are prohibited during peak hours during the week, i.e. from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday (public holidays are not affected). By “unclassified” vehicles we mean the oldest:
- motorized two-wheelers, tricycles and quadricycles put into circulation before June 1, 2000
- cars put into service before January 1, 1997
- light utility vehicles put into service before October 1, 1997
- heavy goods vehicles put into service before October 1, 2001.
Around 4,000 cars, utility vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and motorcycles are affected in the metropolis. However, exemptions are provided for certain types of vehicles or public.
How to obtain the Crit’air sticker?
Necessary in all ZFEs in France, the sticker must be affixed to the front windshield of your vehicle. It can be ordered online on the official website and costs €3.11 (+ €0.66 postage, or €3.77 per vehicle). There are six different types of stickers, depending on the vehicle's pollutant emission level: E, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. A simulator on the site allows you to identify which one corresponds to your vehicle.
How were this perimeter and these restrictions set?
The Nantes ZFE favors vigilance over strong restrictions (which would have led to further limiting access within the ring road), in order to guarantee social equity. Preliminary studies, carried out by Air Pays de la Loire, revealed that the Nantes metropolis respected the current European limit values in terms of air quality – thanks in particular to the actions planned in its urban travel plan. However, regulations are tightening and the thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization are not yet respected throughout the country: it is therefore necessary to continue actions, particularly on road traffic.
Why set up an EPZ?
By 2025, the 43 French urban areas with more than 150,000 inhabitants must have established a Low Emission Mobility Zone (ZFE-m). Objective of this measure, framed by the Climate and Resilience law: to improve air quality, while 40,000 people die each year in France due to fine particles. During the council meeting of December 14, 2023, Nantes Métropole approved the establishment of its ZFE within the broader framework of its metropolitan air quality action plan.
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