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Paris Centre will not be banned from traffic (for now)!

undefined undefined 18 avril 2025 undefined 09h30

The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez - Le Bonbon

If the Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL), which has been tested since November to reduce traffic in downtown Paris, stays in place, the fines that were supposed to start on April 1st are now pushed back to September. This delay is justified by the still unclear control procedures.  

It only took about a couple of weeks and a few unsuccessful tests to push back the deadline. The fines, which are the second phase of the Low Traffic Zone (ZTL) set up in the four central districts of Paris, have been postponed until September, as our colleagues from Parisien reported this Thursday, April 17th. The reason behind this delay is the lack of preparation by the City and the police prefecture, who still need to work on the future control methods. 


The Wait for a Decree, in Vain  

Just recently, we explained that on April 1st, after several months of experimentation, the ZTL, which prohibits cars and vans from passing through the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arrondissements of the capital, was supposed to go on the offensive. Motorists faced the risk of a hefty fine of 135 euros if they drove through without a valid excuse. However, that's not going to happen just yet, at least for now. 

The measure and its terms were supposed to be backed by a municipal and prefectural decree that simply has never been published. According to a source from the local newspaper, the ZTL regulations have been extended until September 1st, a new date chosen by Anne Hidalgo and Prefect Laurent Nu.

tilde;ez to start the controls. 


First public presentation in May 

In the meantime, the details of the measure will be revised, with part of it set to be introduced in next May. Law-abiding drivers will discover how they will be allowed to circulate through two paths:  « One, declarative, through a website ; the other, based on documentation (such as proof of residence, proof of working in the area, etc.) », explains a source close to the mayor of Paris to the Parisien. This is aimed at reducing the congestion in the area, which previously saw 350,000 to 550,000 vehicles per day before the measure was implemented.

Indeed, the ZTL only allows emergency and rescue services, health professionals, local residents and sector workers, public transport, VTC, and people with reduced mobility to drive within the area.

delivery services. They will need to have a justification to enter the area, which is defined to the west by Place de la Concorde and Rue Royale, to the north by the boulevards de la Madeleine, Capucines, Montmartre, and Bonne Nouvelle, to the east by Place de la République and Bastille, and to the south by the quays between the Henri IV bridge and the Tuileries. 

Others will need a valid reason, such as a medical appointment, grocery shopping, visiting friends, or even parking in a garage. Without an excuse, the ban is absolute. The city hall also plans for training for police checks, which will switch to preventive mode by the end of August, ready to take action from September onwards… If the schedulehas just been respected.