“This measure is useless.
Nobody respects it, ”complained Emmanuel last week, going to get the gray card to verify that his vehicle will have the right to circulate.
From this Tuesday, June 1, the low emissions zone (ZFE) of the Metropolis of Grand Paris (MGP) will indeed go one step further in the traffic restrictions.
As in Paris since July 2019, Crit'Air 4 stickers are in turn prohibited inside the perimeter of the A86.
This level is in addition to the Crit'Air 5 and not classified already banned from the urban area.
In other words, from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (7 days a week for buses and heavy goods vehicles) only vehicles classified Crit'Air 1, 2, 3 and electric will be authorized to circulate.
And no more question for the few reluctant mayors to be reluctant to sign a municipal decree.
The climate law, soon to be examined in the Senate, plans to transfer jurisdiction to agglomerations or metropolises - here, the Greater Paris Metropolis - in order to better coordinate and unify decisions.
Avoiding 50 deaths and 520 new cases of asthma
A big blow for owners of old cars. Of course, the goal is to improve air quality and public health. There are an estimated 6,600 deaths linked to pollution in the PMM. However, with this new stage, it is more than 150,000 additional passenger cars that can no longer enter (vehicle fleet data as of January 1, 2020, according to figures from the statistics department of the Ministry of Sustainable Development).
So, some plague, wondering about its usefulness.
This Saturday again, at the call of the French Federation of angry motorcyclists, the two-wheelers demonstrated.
The FFMC denounces the establishment of "a transition carried out at the expense of the population, in an emergency and without concrete alternatives", considering that with "their small footprint, their fluidity in circulation, their low fuel consumption and not diesel, motorized two-wheelers should, as such, be authorized to circulate in all EPZs ”.
But for Airparif, the air quality monitoring association in Ile-de-France, there is no doubt: “Yes, it helps reduce pollution,” assures Pierre Pernot, who works for the organization.
According to him, thanks to this new milestone this week, 50 deaths will be avoided and 520 new cases of asthma.
On the pollutant side, this measure will reduce NOX emissions by 8% (nitrogen oxides, a pollutant gas mainly from diesel) by 4% PM10 and 6% PM2.5, these fine particles that slip into the system. respiratory.
And even if these figures seem low, "the slightest gram less improves the health of Ile-de-France residents," assures Pierre Pernot.
Objective of 100% clean vehicles by 2030
"Moreover, the mere fact of announcing the upcoming restrictions or the ban on certain engines pushes households to anticipate and adapt their purchases," continues the specialist.
The number of diesel vehicles fell by 6% between 2018 and 2019. This is faster than what the models had expected.
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And as Airparif was able to show in its latest report on air quality in Ile-de-France: “Combined with the prohibitions imposed on industry, with new mobility habits, this makes it possible to improve each air quality a little more year.
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The restrictions will not stop there.
Next year, the Crit'Air 3 will be banned.
Then, in January 2024, the Crit'Air 2 to reach the objective in 2030 of having only clean vehicles.
40% reduction in pollution in six years thanks to the ZFE
“It is thus estimated that between 2019 and 2025, we will have reduced by 40% the pollution of the Paris metropolis thanks to the ZFE, we remind the cabinet of Barbara Pompili.
To date, there is no better tool for improving air quality.
It should be remembered that pollution is the second cause of death in France.
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The question of verbalization remains, however.
"Without sanction, this type of decision is difficult to fully implement and lacks readability," recognizes Patrick Ollier, president of the Metropolis of Greater Paris.
The latest MGP survey is not mistaken: only 53% of those questioned have heard of the EPZ.
Admittedly, it is possible, since this year, to verbalize thanks to the video.
But this implies for the municipalities to dedicate municipal police personnel behind the cameras.
"The Metropolis does not have the means either," he continues.
The state is working on an automated control system.
“It was supposed to arrive at the end of 2021, but it will ultimately not be ready.
"The Ministry of Ecology even says that it will not be able to commit before" end of 2022, beginning of 2023 ".
Random checks?
So, in the meantime, Patrick Ollier could ask the municipalities for random checks. “The elected cannot stand idly by. We created the ZFE for public health reasons. On sunny days, just look at the sky to see the cloud of pollution above Paris. The Metropolis has also just funded up to 30 signs for each of the 79 municipalities in order to delimit this new traffic area.
But the purchase of a non-polluting vehicle, which will not be banned by 2024, is still expensive. Different bonuses and bonuses exist depending on income. Modest households can benefit from aid of up to 19,000 euros for the purchase of an electric vehicle. And for the remainder to be paid, the State has just launched a microcredit up to 5,000 euros for which it acts as guarantor. Median incomes, they can count on 6,500 euros under certain conditions. Not sure, however, that this is sufficient for everyone.