Google Maps Latest Update Includes Warning Drivers of Fees When They Enter Low-Emission Zones

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 05 August 2021, 04:08 pm

Google Maps will notify drivers in London and Paris if they are about to enter a low-emission zone. Several cities will impose a fine if a vehicle is below the modern emission standard.

The scheme is created to prevent air pollution in the busiest areas. However, it is unclear where the zones are located, thus, making tourists and occasional local drivers confused and be surprised with the fines.

Google Maps to Notify You About Low-Emission Zone

Google Maps' latest feature came after the app added the incident report tab in April.

The update will alert drivers entering low-emission zones in Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, London's Ultra Low Emission Zone are areas with the most tourist spots and historical landmarks.

The zones are from Mayfair, in the west, all the way to Whitechapel, in the east. In the north, the zone starts at Clerkenwell, and in the south, it begins at Lambeth.

Also Read: Google Maps' New Bug Mixes Words of Location Names: How to Fix This Issue?

Drivers of older vehicles below the emission standards will be asked to pay £12.50 or $17. The UK government is planning to expand the scheme to more areas in October.

In Paris, drivers need to have a windscreen sticker proving that they are using a vehicle with low emissions. Drivers of vehicles with no sticker will be fined €68 or $80.

For bigger vehicles, the drivers will be fined €135 or $165. The city of Berlin has the same system as that of Paris.

Google stated that the alerts would pop up when drives plan a trip through a low-emission zone. They will also be notified when they are nearing a zone while driving.

Google Maps will give drivers options to change their route to eco-friendly ones or choose another mode of transportation to prevent them from getting in trouble with the law.

Other apps like Waze already have features that will help drivers avoid restricted areas in major cities.

However, Google Maps is the most used navigation app, with a market share of 80%. The tech giant added that it supports the efforts of the government to reduce air pollution caused by traffic, especially in the most packed areas.

Contributing to Public Health

According to Times, London's decision to expand the low emission zone in October can help more than 130,000 people suffering from asthma because it can reduce the number of polluting vehicles in the area.

More than 200,000 people with asthma reside in the areas where the local government will expand the low-emission zone, compared with 8,600 asthmatic people living in the current zone in central London.

A survey done by Asthma UK shows that 67.5% of asthmatic people in London said that pollution triggered their condition.

London's Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that his plan to widen the low emission zone would cost up to £130 million or $180 million. The budget will include the installation of 750 enforcement cameras, each costing £15,000 or $20,000.

Alex Williams, the Transport for London's Director of City Planning, said that the low-emission zone expansion would pay for itself. He said that emissions from vehicles are expected to fall by 30% across the capital when the zone is expanded.