French authorities hope the air in Paris is less dirty and the streets safer and quieter, by implementing new rules. Vehicle drivers are asked to reduce their driving speed to a maximum of 30 km/hour.
"The city wants to encourage its citizens to walk, cycle and use public transport more. This is not anti-car. The new speed limits will help reduce pollution, noise and the number of serious accidents," said Deputy Mayor of Paris David Belliard, quoted from Europe. autonews.com.
Currently, the 30 km/h limit is in place for about 60% of the Paris area. This policy is planned to cover the entire city. However, some major highways such as the Champs Elysees will be excluded, with the speed limit remaining at 50 km/h.
"We want to limit (vehicles) to essential travel," Belliard said.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has built several kilometers of new bike lanes, banned old diesel cars, and made the Seine quais car-free. He also reduced parking spaces in the city in an effort to limit car traffic.
City Hall said police would be lenient in implementing the new speed limit in the first weeks. According to a poll conducted by the Paris City Hall, 59% of the city's residents support this restriction.
Meanwhile, a courier service driver this restriction is a terrible rule as he experiences himself stuck between traffic jams.
"We don't have time. I have traffic jams everywhere," the courier, who asked not to be named, told the BFMTV news agency.
Meanwhile, other drivers say the speed limit makes it seem as if car drivers are traveling on electric scooters and find the rules unreasonable.
