Bruno Bernard accuses the government of not supporting support measures for low -emission areas. Confronted with the concerns of popular cities, the elected official reviews his ambitions.
by Richard Schittly (Lyon, correspondent)
Too complicated, too expensive, too early. Faced with the concerns of elected officials from popular cities, and the reluctance of entrepreneurs, Bruno Bernard, president of the Metropolis of Lyon, decided to postpone the ban on diesel engine vehicles within the perimeter of the low -emission zone ( ZFE) of the second agglomeration of France. “The decisions must be made, but also shared by the greatest number. We need collective maturation. We were not yet there. To be effective, a policy must be accepted,” explains Bruno Bernard (Europe Ecologie-les Verts , EELV), in an interview with the weekly Lyon forum , to be published Thursday, February 16.
The prohibition of circulation of vehicles Crit’Air 2 in the Lyon ZFE is now scheduled in 2028, while the ecological majority had voluntarily chosen to advance the Diesel abandonment calendar, setting the objective at 2026 , in a deliberation voted in September 2022. “The fight against pollution is shared by all political edges, but the implementation of the ZFE provokes divisions. I want to bring together to succeed in the objective that everyone wishes, By also speaking to those who have not voted for us, “says Bruno Bernard to the world.
Differtaining the calendar, the elected environmentalist hopes that the culmination of his projects of new public transport, including a tram line and two additional metro stations, will offer an alternative to the simpler and accessible car. “Signs are encouraging,” said Bernard, recalling that the use of the car has dropped by 10 % between 2019 and 2022 in the Lyon agglomeration, while the number of public transport subscriptions has increased by 8 % over the same period.
eighteen additional municipalities
According to him, the abandonment of diesel remains the only solution to significantly lower nitrogen dioxide emissions in the Lyon region. “The national calendar on the Crit’Air 5, 4 and 3 on a central perimeter – Lyon, Villeurbanne, Caluire -, which concerns more than 50 % of the population, is, intangible. If we stay there, we get a Decrease of 15 % of nitrogen dioxide pollution. If we go to the Crit’Air 2, it is 60 % to 70 %. So you have to do it, you have to get out of diesel, “says Bruno Bernard at the Lyonnais weekly.
To justify the decline on a flagship measure of his mandate, the elected environmentalist plagues a lot against “the lack of commitment of the State”. “The ZFE is originally a government measure, but we have no support. No communication campaign as was planned. No radar for essential controls, no financial support, when we have released 100 million ‘Euros of aid for changes in vehicles “, lists Bruno Bernard.
You have 46.79% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.