Do france’s low-emissions zone rules apply to disabled drivers?

SEVERAL FRENCH CITIES REQUIRE DRIVERS TO HAVE A CRIT’AIR CLEAN AIR CERTIFICATE TO ENTER THE CITY CENTRE, BUT DOES THIS APPLY TO PEOPLE WITH A DISABLED PARKING BADGE? READER QUESTION: DO I

NEED TO ABIDE BY CRIT’AIR RULES IF I HAVE A DISABLED PARKING BADGE? No, people who have a disabled badge can drive through low-emission zones in France even if their cars do not meet the

pollution standards. However, you do still need to display a Crit’Air sticker, costing €3.11 plus postage. There are currently 11 cities in France that have introduced a _zone à faibles

émissions mobilité_ (ZFE-m), which the most polluting vehicles, according to the Crit’Air labelling system, are banned from entering. The exact specifications differ from city to city. The

legislation includes an exception for cars displaying a _carte mobilité inclusion_ (CMI) disabled badge, which specifies that it covers _stationnement pour les personnes handicapées_

(parking for disabled people). This also applies to drivers with a disabled parking card in one of its previous forms, which were replaced by the CMI in 2017. This exception was introduced

in recognition of the fact that it can be more difficult for those concerned to use alternative modes of transport. Every city with a population of more than 150,000 will be required to

introduce a ZFE-m by the end of 2024, bringing the number of zones to 45. Currently, any fines involved would be given out by traffic police, but the government also plans to introduce a

system of ‘automated checks and sanctions’ by the second half of 2024. The Environment Ministry has said drivers with a disabled badge will be able to declare their vehicles so that their

exemptions will be recognised by the automated system, allowing them to enter the zones. However, a spokesman said only those with a CMI stationnement card would qualify “given the upcoming

phasing out of the old cards, and the existence of a large number of fakes of these cards”. There will be three ways to register your CMI, the ministry told _The Connexion_. These are: the

online CMI portal at carte-mobilite-inclusion.fr; a mobile app which will be available for Apple or Android phones; and an interactive voice response telephone system. Further details will

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