Paris has enacted a traffic-restricted zone in its city center, prohibiting most vehicles from passing through key areas in an effort to reduce congestion and improve air quality. The measure, implemented by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, restricts car access to a 5.5-square-kilometer area covering Paris’s 1st to 4th arrondissements, which includes landmarks such as the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens.
Since November 4, only emergency vehicles, buses, taxis, and residents or workers in the zone are permitted entry, along with individuals visiting the area for essential activities such as medical appointments, shopping, or entertainment. Transit traffic is strictly prohibited. The decree, signed on October 31, aims to reduce traffic on the busiest roads by up to 30 percent, accompanied by anticipated decreases in noise levels and pollution. To support compliance, the city is implementing a proof-of-residence system and an online notification process, with an initial grace period.
The project, announced in 2021, faced delays due to negotiations with the Paris police prefecture, leading to a compromise on the zone’s size. The prefecture, which oversees enforcement, co-signed the October decree as part of the agreement.
Source: lemonde.fr
