Experts have issued an urgent warning to motorists travelling to Germany for the European Championships as they could risk hefty fines.
English and Scottish football fans will be looking forward to travelling across Germany to see their team play some of the best sporting nations from around the continent as the European Championships get underway.
However, drivers may be in for a shock when they travel through different cities in Germany with emissions-based charging zones potentially putting a dampener on their journey.
Many cities across the country operate zones which aim to crack down on polluting vehicles and improve the quality of the air.
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Low Emission Zones operate across most major cities around Germany
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These operate in a similar manner as those seen in major UK cities, including London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, numerous Clean Air Zones and Scotland’s Low Emission Zones.
Ali Ingram-Seal, from Saga, urged motorists to check whether they need to take action before visiting cities around Germany and whether they could be hit with fines if they do.
She said: “Most major German cities require a green emissions sticker that confirms your car’s compliant with their low-emission zones.
“This is usually determined by when your car was registered.
“Most cities only allow green emission vehicles, unless anyone in the vehicle has a blue EU parking card for people with disabilities.”
The expert warned that drivers will face a €100 (£84.58) fine any time they enter a city without an environmental sticker.
This includes several cities where English football fans may be driving including Gelsenkirchen – where they play Serbia – as well as Frankfurt and Cologne, where they will play their final two group stage games.
The same can be said for Scotland. Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart – where they play Germany, Switzerland and Hungary – also require drivers to have an emissions sticker.
A handful of cities also employ a diesel car ban for older, more polluting vehicles, including Berlin, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart.
It is assumed that more cities will implement new diesel bans in the future to curb emissions and promote cleaner forms of transport.
The official emissions sticker can be purchased online for only €15.95 (£13.49) including VAT and delivery costs.
The stickers, known as Umweltplakette or Feinstaubplakette in German, come in three different colours to denote which vehicles are the most polluting: red, yellow and green.
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The European Championships are taking place in Germany over the next month
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As of 2021, vehicles with a red “2” emissions sticker are not allowed to enter any LEZ in Germany, with yellow stickers also waning in popularity, while green stickers allow drivers to enter any zone.
Green stickers are eligible for electric vehicles, petrol vehicles Euro 1 and above, LCVs, trucks and buses with diesel Euro 4 and retrofitted diesel vehicles that meet Euro 3 standards.