The town hall of Paris began to apply today a traffic restriction zone in the central part of the city, with the objective of “freeing up public space” occupied by vehicles and reducing the pollution.
The measure will cover an area of about 5.5 km2, said David Belliard, the person in charge of transport in the French capital.
With this initiative, only buses, taxis, ambulances, vehicles for people with reduced mobility or those that belong to people who reside or work in the area will be able to access the area.
The initiative, postponed several times, is one of the campaign promises of the socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo. The objective is to “free up public space” occupied by vehicles and reduce pollution.
Since the project was announced in May 2021, the perimeter has been the subject of difficult negotiations with the police.
But with this measure, the capital city council expects a “substantial” decrease in traffic on its main arteries, according to the impact study it carried out. You also expect noise reduction and improved air quality.
The decision made in Paris follows in the footsteps of other cities
London It was the first city to implement, in 2003, charging a fee to access the area known as “Central London”.
These are two restricted zones, the “Low Emission Zone” (LEZ) and the “Ultra Low Emission Zone” (ULEZ). To access them, drivers must pay a fee called “Congestion Charge” that amounts to about 15 euros to avoid being penalized. Residents and electric cars are exempt from paying.
Also in manhattan The collection of a fee was implemented to reduce the circulation of vehicles.
Drivers entering the Midtown and Lower Manhattan business district during peak hours will be charged a $15 fee.
There are also these types of restrictions in other cities such as Rome, Milan or Madrid.
Source: Ambito
