Paris is continuing its crackdown on air pollution. From July 1, the city will enforce a ban on cars registered before 1997.
The ban is set to only take place on weekdays between 8am and 8pm and expected to affect 10% of cars in Paris, according to Le Monde (link in French). By 2020, the ban will extend to cars registered before 2010.
The ban is one of many measures the city has taken to tackle air pollution. For a brief period in 2015, air pollution in Paris was worse than in any other city in the world. An air-quality index number above 100 is considered “harmful,” while anything above 150 is considered critical, according to Plume Labs. Paris’ air quality index hit 125.
The city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, won a long-running battle against the government last year and was able to introduce emergency traffic bans when air pollution spikes. On its first car-free day, some parts of the city registered 40% less nitrogen dioxide in the air.
Let’s hope that the strikes paralyzing public transport in France at the moment are over by the time the new rules start.