The cameras that are already recording speed violations and crossings with red are now taking over «read» automatically and the pollutant category of each vehicle, clearing the way for fines that many owners do not expect. The problem is not new, but to date it was mainly based on random checks from Traffic or on random roadblocks at the entrance to the capital. The combination of smart cameras with automatic data crossing completely changes the data, since it is now enough for a single record to reveal that a car moves where it is not manufactured.
What is the legal framework behind the ban?
The basis of the prohibition is laid down in Article 50 of the relevant legislation, which states that private diesel vehicles, as well as the combined trucks of up to 4,000 kg, are exempt from traffic restrictions in Attica and Thessaloniki only if their technology meets the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of 20 June 2007, i.e. Euro V and Euro VI or later. In simple terms, the limit set by the law is clear: what is Euro 5 or Euro 6 is free to go, what is Euro 4 or older is not.
Where exactly are the old diesels banned?
The ban concerns not only the center of Athens or Thessaloniki, but extends to a fairly wider zone around the two major urban centres. In Attica the prohibition of coverage applies to Elefsina, Magoula, Tribe, Acharnes, Thracomacedones, Varybobee, Cryoneri, Agios Stefanos, Spring, Stop, Rodopolis, Dionysos, Pickermi, Spata, Koropi, Vari and Varkiza, i.e. virtually throughout the basin and suburbs around it. A similar zone applies to the prefecture of Thessaloniki. Minutes, an old oil engine headed from the province to any point in these areas is already out of legitimacy once it crosses the line.
How camera recognition will work
The new element that changes the correlations is the ability of the system to automatically identify, through the registration plate, the category of vehicle pollutants and cross-reference it with the geographic location of the camera. If a Euro 4 or older vehicle is registered to move within the restricted zones, the system no longer needs a physical presence of a traffic officer to document the infringement. The logic is the same as that already applied in cases of excessive speed: when an old diesel driver is caught by a camera exceeding the speed limit, he will not only be assured of the speed violation, but also of a separate violation for illegal entry and movement within an area where the movement of vehicles of this anti-pollution category is prohibited. With the extension of automatic identification, the same could happen even without prior speed violation, only from the entry of the vehicle into the zone.
The «hole» point: insurance coverage in the event of an accident
In addition to the administrative fine, there is an element that directly touches the owner's pocket in the event of a car accident. If it is found that an oil-powered Euro 4 or older car was illegally moving within Attica or Thessaloniki and involved in a car accident, the insurance company does not compensate for the damage caused or caused by others, precisely because vehicle traffic was banned from the outset. This means that an owner who believes he is normally covered by compulsory insurance can be found completely unprotected, with all the cost of damage being passed on to him personally.
Because the problem is bigger than it looks.
The issue is not limited to a few expensive or rare models. It is enough to observe the traffic in the tolls of Elefsina or Aphidna to realize how many old diesel cars enter Attica daily and illegally. The Greek fleet of vehicles remains one of the oldest in the European Union, which means that a significant proportion of diesel vehicles circulating in the country fall right into Euro 4 and formerly, which is now being targeted by automatic monitoring.
What this means for the owners of old diesel
The practical advice is to check the category of pollutants of one's vehicle on the marketing authorisation before planning any movement to or within the restricted zones of Attica and Thessaloniki. With cameras now taking on the role of automatic anti-pollution conformity controller, the possibility of «go unnoticed» an old diesel is drastically reduced, while the possibility of a cumulative fine, combined with another infringement such as speeding, significantly increases the final cost to the owner.
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