Holiday drivers face £1,500 fines amid ‘wave’ of new Ulez zones in Europe

BRITS driving abroad during thier summer holiday could be slapped with major fines due to expanding Ulez zones throughout Europe.

France, Spain, Italy and elsewhere are changing restrictions on diesel and petrol vehicles – and drivers face penalties of up to £1,500.

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And Brit drivers who fail to comply with European laws could even see points knocked off their British driving licenses.

The Post Office’s head of Travel Money Lara Plunkett told The Telegraph: “With flight costs reported to be soaring, it is understandable that so many Britons have decided to drive to Europe this summer.

“However, it is worrying that many people have not realised that driving laws have changed since their last trip and they could be risking big fines if they don’t learn the rules of the road.

“Popular destinations like France and Spain have long been operating spot fines so it is crucial for holiday motorists to carry foreign currency with them in case they are stopped for speeding or falling foul of new rules.”

Paris

£60 – £120 Fines

If you’re planning on popping over to Paris, make sure your car has one of the five “Crit’Air” stickers.

The stickers indicate that you’ve paid a charge to enter the city of light’s “Zones à Faibles Émissions” – the Parisian version of Ulez.

But beware – new rules set to come into force mean that fossil fuel vehicles built before 2006 will be banned.

If you’re caught with one of these vehicles, you could get a fine of up to £650 – and the rules could come into play by July 14.

Madrid & Barcelona

£170 – £1550 Fines

Madrid recently extended its version of Ulez in January, meaning foreign cars entering the city must be registered and display a sticker.

The stickers cost around £2 for petrol cars and £3 for diesel – a bargain compared to the fines for failing to display the sticker, which can reach up to £1550.

Barcelona has a similar policy to Madrid – drivers should take the same actions they take when planning to go to Madrid.

Milan

Daily charges of £2 to £5

Milan is Italy’s largest low emission zone, and vehicles must pay a daily congestion charge when driving between 7.30am to 7.30pm.

Petrol vehicles pay £2 a day, while diesel vehicles pay £5 per day.

Other Italian cities, including Florence, Perugia, Naples, Verona and Rome also have similar low emission zones.

In February, travelers were warned of an extra £25 charge to drive to Heathrow.

A rule due to come into effect later this year means specific vehicles will have to pay to reach the airport.

The ULEZ (ultra low emission zone) expansion is scheduled to expand beyond its current borders on August 29, with Heathrow set to be included.

The AA is warning drivers that they will have to pay £12.50 to drive to and from the airport, if their car does not comply with European emissions standards.

They have warned that those who are “blind to the new ULEZ charges” could be hit with a hidden £25 tax if they decide to drive to the airport for their holiday.

While the low emission zone mainly covers London, the AA say it will soon begin to affect more and more people.

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