Paris car ban set to start after pollution hits high

[alp227]

Source: BBC

Hundreds of police will monitor traffic in Paris on Monday after pollution levels prompted the French government to impose major restrictions.

Only motorists whose cars have odd-numbered registration plates will be allowed to drive.

On Tuesday, if the restrictions remain in place, it will be the turn of those with even-numbered plates.

Ministers acted after air pollution exceeded safe levels for five days running in Paris and surrounding areas.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26599010

[tomm2thumbs]

1. I foresee a sudden increase in sales of black-market plates

[jtuck004]

2. And electrical tape.n/t

[olddad56]

3. at least they are trying to do something.

[babylonsister]

4. This is big-Paris? I was there years ago and my ex- hated it

because you could see and smell the pollution along the Seine during rush hour. It's time.

[Chakab]

5. I don't undertsand why people drive in major metro areas unless it's absolutely necessary.

I live in downtown Toronto, and I drive about once a month.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. U.S. cities are different than a lot of other cities...

Especially outside the NE. Places like Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix are almost impossible to get around a great deal without a car. That's one of the major problems facing this country - the fact a great deal of its newer population centers were almost entirely built around the cars (and out of the highway boom of the 1950s and 60s). The older cities are easier to live without cars. The newer ones? Eh...

[eggplant]

9. Considering that the entirety of France would fit inside Texas

(by landmass) but has 2.5x as many people, it becomes clear that in the US, we have a LOT of land per capita. It isn't surprising that as soon as you get out of dense urban areas that mass transit stops being economical.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. Not a bad idea...

I say this coming from one of the worst polluted cities in America - Salt Lake City. A lot of the time, it isn't bad. But those days when it's a Red Day, I think the city should operate like many do during ice/snow storms and shut down.

[ErikJ]

8. Paris is #1 tourist destination in world-so it makes sense

what tourist wants to come back if they cant even see the Eiffel Tower