Car curbs as pollution chokes Paris
Print Edition
PARIS was choking yesterday under its worst winter pollution in a decade, with commuters being offered free public transport and half the city’s cars ordered off the road in an effort to clear the air.
The surge in pollution has been driven by cold weather and near windless conditions that have trapped exhaust fumes, wood smoke and other pollutants, said the French capital’s AirParif air monitoring service.
Though bad by local standards, current levels of the fine airborne particles known as PM10 are around 60 percent of levels in Beijing and a fraction of readings in New Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted capitals.
Paris authorities announced a second day of traffic restrictions in the capital, with a ban on private cars with registration plates ending in even numbers between 5:30am and midnight.
They imposed the same restriction on cars with odd-numbered plates on Tuesday.
Public transport in the city was also free for a second day running to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles at home, while schoolchildren are being prevented from exercising outside.
“This is a record period for the last 10 years,” AirParif’s Karine Leger told reporters.
For more than a week, AirParif had published readings of PM10 at more than 80 micrograms per cubic meter, triggering the pollution alert. It recorded a level of 146 last Thursday.
The air particles being measured can cause and exacerbate a range of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
Other parts of France were also facing pollution alerts, with air particle concentrations rising to dangerous levels in the southeast and the northern parts of the country.
The central city of Lyon was suffering as pollution gathered in the Rhone Valley, also affecting the Alpine towns of Chambery and Annecy.
The environmentalist candidate in next year’s presidential election, Yannick Jadot, said that politicians needed to target the most polluting vehicles and restrict the use of diesel engines.
“We have politicians who tell us they are looking after our health,” Jadot said.
“The reality is that when they have to choose between traffic, diesel and our health, unfortunately they don’t choose our health.”
It was only the fourth time Paris has resorted to traffic restrictions to cope with air pollution. Officials took similar measures in 1997, 2014 and 2015.
But a parliamentary report questioned the restrictions, saying they did not target the most polluting vehicles.
Despite the measures on Tuesday, officials reported heavy traffic jams in and around the city during morning and afternoon rush hours.
Traffic police were kept busy trying to enforce the anti-pollution measures, fining more than 1,700 motorists for violations.
Paris police chief Michel Cadot said the traffic restrictions might be kept in place for a third day.
He urged commuters to limit car use or organize car sharing to minimize traffic pollution.
Adding to the region’s problems, the Paris rail link to its main airport, Charles de Gaulle, has been out of action since Tuesday morning after an accident brought down power lines, forcing more people to take to the road.
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