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Paris proposes banning older cars from city center
Source: Agencies |
November 15, 2012, Thursday
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SOME of the most common cars in French motoring history would be banned from Paris under a law intended to hit gas-guzzlers, but which is being criticized as a blow to the poor and classic car fans.
The proposal to ban pre-1997 cars from the city center is the brainchild of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who was behind the popular Velib' bike-rental scheme but has been accused of turning the city of lights into a playground for the rich.
Under the plan, such classics as the stylish Citroen DS, one of which was painted by Picasso; the Citroen 2CV, sometimes described as a tin snail; and the boxy but durable Renault 4L, along with less iconic models driven by ordinary Parisians who can't afford to trade up, would have to go.
"This is for our citizens. It's a public health battle and we've been fighting since 2001 to try and make the air here more breathable," the left-wing mayor told councillors in Paris.
Claude Fauconnier, vice-president of the French Friends of the 2CV Club, called the measure "another harebrained idea" to please ecologists and wealthy Parisians, while ignoring the day-to-day reality of the less-well-off.
"If you're driving a 17-year-old car there's usually a reason and it's certainly not for fun," he said.
The proposal needs government endorsement and will be submitted to a ministerial council in January.
The proposal to ban pre-1997 cars from the city center is the brainchild of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who was behind the popular Velib' bike-rental scheme but has been accused of turning the city of lights into a playground for the rich.
Under the plan, such classics as the stylish Citroen DS, one of which was painted by Picasso; the Citroen 2CV, sometimes described as a tin snail; and the boxy but durable Renault 4L, along with less iconic models driven by ordinary Parisians who can't afford to trade up, would have to go.
"This is for our citizens. It's a public health battle and we've been fighting since 2001 to try and make the air here more breathable," the left-wing mayor told councillors in Paris.
Claude Fauconnier, vice-president of the French Friends of the 2CV Club, called the measure "another harebrained idea" to please ecologists and wealthy Parisians, while ignoring the day-to-day reality of the less-well-off.
"If you're driving a 17-year-old car there's usually a reason and it's certainly not for fun," he said.
The proposal needs government endorsement and will be submitted to a ministerial council in January.
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