„Low-emission zones“ and heavy goods vehicle vignettes
From 1 July 2019, the Paris metropolitan area will become a „low-emission zone“. The metropolis will reproduce the same decisions taken by the capital in 2017, so Euro 3 heavy goods vehicles will be banned in 79 communes within the A86.
Another issue is the HGV vignette, which could become compulsory in the future. It would contribute to the road hauliers‘ contribution to the maintenance of the network. The government would also like to impose it on foreign drivers, which is causing considerable debate in the face of a European policy of non-distinction between the different countries of the European Union. However, the question will not be raised until 2020. In the face of the crisis and tax fatigue in France, another hypothesis has surfaced: to make the vignette deductible from the TICPE (Taxe intérieure de consommation sur les produits énergétiques – Internal consumption tax on energy products), so that it would be „reimbursed“ for every tank of petrol for French drivers (no additional tax burden), thus excluding foreigners who never stop at French pumps.
On-board chronographs: new generation compulsory by 2024
A new regulation concerning the digital tachograph will arrive in June 2019. More secure and communicative, it aims to reduce fraud by making data as falsifiable as possible.
The new regulations will apply to goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes that are already subject to the current obligation. However, if your fleet is equipped with the old tachographs, you have until 2024 to change them.
It will feature more advanced functions:
- A GNSS – geolocation system that will record the vehicle’s location at the start and end of its journey and every 3 hours.
- A DSRC interface – which will detect misuse so that only offending vehicles can be immobilised.
- An ITS interface – this is an option for sharing activity data with other existing applications.
Find out about all the obligations relating to the posting of employees in France in the transport industry.
