People, Environment
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Paris Bans Old Cars, Motorcycles

Paris Bans Old Cars, Motorcycles
Paris Bans Old Cars, Motorcycles

As of Friday, motorists with cars built before 1997 and motorcycles built before 2000 are no longer able to drive them in Paris during daylight hours on weekdays. Fines will be handed out for those caught breaking the rules from October, with motorists slapped with a €35 ($39) fine for their first offence. These fines will increase in January to €68 ($76) for passenger vehicles and €135 ($150) for trucks, Thelocal.fr reported. The move is part of efforts by Paris City Hall to clean up its air, which regularly violates EU norms and is estimated to cut six to eight months off the life expectancy of residents. Cars older than 10 years are estimated to cause half of the city’s air pollution. The new rules are some of the toughest restrictions on drivers in any European city. And they could get tougher. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has made no secret of her wish to ban all diesel cars from the city. A recent study from the French Health Department found that 2,441 people die a year from air pollution in Paris, with a further 4,166 dying from it in outer suburbs of the city.

 

Financialtribune.com