The metropolises of Paris, Lyon, Montpellier and Grenoble will ban Crit'Air 3 vehicles from their Low Emission Zones (ZFE) on January 1, 2025. These measures aim to reduce air pollution but affect hundreds of thousands of residents. Motorists are encouraged to turn to alternative solutions, helped by exemptions or bonuses. In Paris, the application remains symbolic in 2024, but will become tougher in the following years.
Which vehicles are affected? The Crit'Air 3 includes diesels registered before 2011 and gasoline cars registered before 2006. In Paris, this represents more than 420,000 private cars and 59,000 professional vehicles.
The metropolises of Paris and Lyon have been forced to restrict the circulation of cars classified Crit'Air 3 because of the poor quality of their air.
Do motorists have any respite? In Paris, in 2025, no fines will be distributed for Crit'Air 3 offenses. Adapted radars will not be deployed until 2026. On the other hand, Lyon, Montpellier and Grenoble are implementing restrictions from January. Exemptions exist for disabled people or workers with irregular hours.
Authorized times and days. In the ZFEs of the metropolises concerned, Crit'Air 3 vehicles can only circulate outside peak hours. For example, in Paris, restrictions apply from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on working days, but traffic remains authorized in the evenings, weekends and public holidays. In Lyon, similar time slots are in place, while Montpellier and Grenoble adjust their restrictions according to local specificities.
What alternatives? Drivers are invited to turn to public transport, bicycles or electric cars. Financial aid such as conversion bonuses or local subsidies facilitate the purchase of less polluting vehicles.
A heavy constraint for some. Critics point out that these measures penalize low-income households, unable to replace their vehicles. According to a resident of Lyon, “we are asked to act for the climate, but the aid does not cover everything ».
Until the beginning of this year, it was expected that Marseille, Strasbourg and Rouen would have to restrict, like Paris and Lyon, the circulation of Crit'Air 3 cars in 2025, but the Ministry of Ecological Transition announced in March that they would not no longer had this obligation, due to the improvement in their air quality.
