Drivers heading to France this summer on holiday or for the Paris Olympics have been warned to check their vehicle is fitted with a Crit'Air emissions vehicle sticker or they could risk getting fined.
As nearly 500,000 people head to Paris for the Olympic Games this summer, drivers are being urged to ensure their vehicle meets the Clear Air Zone requirements before setting off.
The charging areas - known as ZCRs or ZCAs - ban drivers from entering certain urban areas called Low Emission Mobility Zones.
Vehicles not registered in France must also display the ecological Crit'Air sticker in order to travel on French roads.
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Drivers are being warned before travelling to France this yearPAIn Paris, it is compulsory for drivers to have the sticker within the perimeter of the A86 motorway from Monday to Friday, between 8am and 8pm, except on public holidays.
Paris is not the only French city to establish harsh air pollution rules. It follows in the footsteps of Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Rouen, Reims and Saint-Étienne.
According to French laws, from 2025, all cities and regions with more than 150,000 residents will be required to introduce low emission zones.
The sticker rules came into effect in 2017 and are separated into six categories each with a different colour, helping authorities and drivers understand whether restrictions apply to their vehicles.
Drivers heading to Franch can order the sticker online on the website of the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, it costs £3.17 and takes between five to 10 days to arrive.
Without the sticker, cars with higher pollution counts could be fined £58 for entering the zones without a sticker, while coaches could be fined £115.
Former Olympian Kriss Akabusi told GB News: “My experience on the continent is that they will fine you on the spot and you have to get the money.
“I remember once I was going from Germany into Belgium, got fined, and didn’t have the money on me. They followed me to the bank, so they will get their money. Basically, this is just another tax on the motorist. Cut it whatever way you like, the motorist is an easy target.
The French Crit'Air stickers are categorised by colour
Crit’Air 0/E - Electric and hydrogen vehicles - green sticker
Crit’Air 1 - Plug-in hybrid vehicles and Euro 5, 6 petrol vehicles - purple sticker
Crit’Air 2 - Euro 4 petrol vehicles, and Euro 5, 6 diesel vehicles - yellow sticker
Crit’Air 3 - Euro 2, 3 petrol vehicles and Euro 4 diesel vehicles - orange sticker
Crit’Air 4 - Euro 3 diesel vehicles - burgundy sticker
Crit’Air 5 - Euro 2 diesel vehicles - dark grey sticker
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The Crit'Air stickers denote the emissions output of a vehicle
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The Crit'Air sticker is valid for the lifetime of the vehicle with drivers not needing to renew every time they travel abroad to France.