News Digest: Train Strikes, Hidden Speed Cameras & Do You Still Need a Crit’ Air Sticker

The ongoing taxi driver strikes look set to ramp up again this week with a proposed blockage of the French Finance Ministry in Bercy for tomorrow (Wednesday, June 11th). Airports and city ring roads may also be blocked today and tomorrow, especially in Paris, Marseille, and other major cities, so it’s a good idea to check the local traffic report before setting out.

Train travellers may also be affected by strikes tomorrow, with the CGT union filing a general strike notice, while a further strike notice has been filed by Sud Rail starting on Thursday, June 12th. The strikes will likely affect local and regional trains rather than national TGV lines, but it’s worth double-checking your ticket status and train times before you travel.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the end of France’s Crit’Air Stickers – the car classifications that rate vehicles based on their polluting emissions – but it’s not quite a done deal…  French MPS did vote last week in favour of ending France’s low emission zones (ZFEs), which are currently in place in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and 39 other urban zones around the country, citing concerns that the zones disproportionately affected low-income workers who need to travel to workplaces within the zones.

However, as is often the case with such decisions, this vote only represented the first stage of the long political process required to change any such law in France, and as with other amendments (like the much-publicised second-home owners’ visa exemption, which was thrown out in 2024), this may not be approved by France’s Conseil Constitutionnel.

For the moment, despite some misleading reports, the ZFEs remain in place, and the requirement for a Crit’Air Sticker has not changed – we’ll let you know if and when it does.

While we’re on the subject of driving in France, road users should also be aware of a new kind of speed camera that is being rolled out across the country. The Fusion 2 Mesta turret radar cameras are known for being less conspicuous than their counterparts, and, most notably, they don’t flash when taking a photo, meaning that drivers are often unaware that they’ve been caught speeding until they receive the fine.

Although these speed cameras have been in operation since 2019 in some areas, they are now being rolled out across France, with the idea being that they will eventually replace existing cameras. Signs stating “contrôles radars fréquents” indicate that these cameras are being used, and you can also see a map of France’s speed cameras here.

This goes hand-in-hand with the use of unmarked radar vehicles equipped with infrared speed detection technology that are now being used in more than 60 departments around France – soon to be rolled out across the country, too.

The bottom line is: stick to the speed limit, even if you don’t think you’re being watched!

If you’re hoping to move or retire to France from the UK, you won’t want to miss our upcoming webinar. Join us during your lunch break on Tuesday, July 1st, at 12:30pm UK / 1:30pm France for our free Where to start with moving to France – UK webinar. I’ll be joined by a panel of experts to answer all your questions on visas, healthcare, taxes, and removals to France.

Sign up here or by clicking the button below, and don’t forget to send me your questions in advance to [email protected]

Don’t forget that it’s Father’s Day, or la fête des Pères, this Sunday, June 15th, in France!