- Six French cities may create red zones and ban entry of high-pollution vehicles.
- Said anti-pollution zones would target older diesel vehicles and SUVs.
- The program is slated to begin on a trial basis in cities like Paris by 2012.
PARIS — "The hunt is on for 4x4s and old diesels," the French newspaper Le Monde proclaimed this week. Six French cities, including Paris, are preparing to set up center-city pollution red zones where high-polluting or fuel-guzzling vehicles would be forbidden. The initiative is slated to start on an experimental basis in 2012.
The initiative, called ZAPA, would create priority air-quality zones. Most likely, vehicles would be given a letter grade based on their CO2 emissions and designated with a sticker by France's Minister of the Ecology.
The other cities that are to carry out the experiment are the metropolitan areas of Lyon, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Aix and Saint-Denis, all areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The ZAPA initiative will last three years, Le Monde reported.
Separately, the French government announced on December 26 that it will cut government subsidies for energy-saving vehicles that first went into effect in early 2008. The change applies to vehicles purchased starting on January 1.
A subsidy of about $130 has been cut entirely for purchase of vehicles with 116 to 125 g/km of CO2 emissions, while a bonus for vehicles with 91 to 115 g/km has been cut from $650 to $525. Buyers of lower-emissions vehicles of 61 to 90 g/km will get $1,051, down from $1,315. However, cars with under 60 g/km of CO2 emissions still get $6,575 in government subsidies as before. Natural-gas-powered vehicles lose all subsidies in 2011.
Hybrid buyers will get a $2,630 bonus as before, but only on vehicles creating less than 111 g/km; previously, this subsidy was paid on vehicles with up to 135 g/km of emissions.
Le Monde quotes the French minister of the ecology as saying the change is because the bonus system has "met its objectives" and now buyers have added CO2 emissions to their criteria in seeking a new vehicle.
The paper notes that the subsidies cost the French government $693 million in 2009, with similar numbers projected for 2010.
Inside Line says: It looks like un paradoxe, but times are hard. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
twmark says:
05:14 PM, 01/02/2011
boy, that's a nice Landcruiser!
shelbyturboz says:
02:11 PM, 12/29/2010
This law is stupid if they want big gas guzzlers gone stop the sale of them. simple realy to buy one you would have to have a farm or live in a area where 4x4 is needed. you live in a city have no real use for a big suv then you cant buy one. This sounds a little unfair but that is the problem . Most people buy suvs for the status not because they need one. but if you have one you should not be told not to drive it. What if they said 9 air bags are safe, so any car that does not have them cant drive on the highway. my pont is where does it stop
bean3422 says:
09:49 AM, 12/29/2010
kdizzle is actually correct...this is not socialism, it is tyranny. When a non-elected body of people dictates based on their opinion that something is harmful to society in general and should be banned, it is tyranny, pure and simple. Now if an elected body does this kind of stuff, then they can be kicked out at the next election, also pure and simple.
Now if the non-elected (or elected) body takes tax money and gives it out to those who don't deserve it, then that is socialism.
Don't think both are not pervasive in the US too...it's called Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, etc, etc, etc. Maybe there is a thin veil of leadership at the elected level, but mostly it is bureaucrats who take our hard earned money to pay for a job where mostly all they do is figure out how to regulate us and make our lives "better". Vicious cycle, but I digress.
The sad thing is that even here almost 50 percent of We the People don't see a problem with it.
To put it simply, the main purpose of government is to keep us from killing, stealing from, abusing, harming, etc each other and to keep other countries from doing the same to us.
We have come a long way from that.
kdizzle says:
05:47 AM, 12/29/2010
-10 klavasseur
For completely misunderstanding what socialism is. This right here is called regulation.
Not only that but nowhere here does it state that taxes would have to be raised in this case, there isn't even a cost involved, it's simply a flat ban.
In fact the article talks about CUTTING subsidies.
isend2c says:
11:39 PM, 12/28/2010
+10 klavasseur
this kinda crap better not happen in the US, or I'll need to start signing petitions and such.
klavasseur says:
09:20 PM, 12/28/2010
Ahhhh, socialism, 'Tis a beautiful thing! The government always has such good ideas, and they always involve raising taxes! What a perfect solution, keep it up!
cz_75 says:
05:11 PM, 12/28/2010
Why not? European cities are crowded and the streets narrow, so why have something that is a traffic hazard there to begin with, irrespective of fuel economy. Considering fuel and vehicle costs in Europe, you'd need to be well off to own an SUV and you can just leave it at your country estate, since you cetrtainly have the money to own a car as well.