-
Roads to avoid as people travel for a bank holiday weekend away
It is the last long weekend before the summer holidays and many people will be going away
-
American on Interpol’s wanted list found during routine check in France
He is accused of sexually assaulting a student at a Pennsylvania college in 2013
-
EXPLAINED: Why France has declared state of emergency in New Caledonia
Three people have been killed in riots since the start of the week
French town sets 30 kph speed limit on all roads
A town near Bordeaux (Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine) has become the first of its size in France to introduce a 30 kph speed limit on all of its roads.
Bègles, a town of 27,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Garonne River, around five kilometres from the centre of Bordeaux, is often used as a cut-through by drivers wishing to avoid city traffic.
The town introduced the new measure yesterday (July 8), making the maximum speed limit 30 kph on every single one of its roads.
Lundi 8 juillet la Ville de #Bègles généralise la vitesse de #circulation autorisée à 30 km/h partout. Elle devient ainsi la première commune de cette taille, en France, à étendre cette limitation à toute la ville. https://t.co/9GngxD8kwy … #ville30 #monvillageurbain pic.twitter.com/sleEB0IC0J
— Bègles, le village urbain (@Villedebegles) July 5, 2019
The limit is intended to improve public safety - as stopping distances for vehicles at 30 kph is almost half that at 50 kph - and also expected to help reduce traffic noise and air pollution.
The town’s mayor, Clément Rossignol Puech - who is also vice-president of Bordeaux Métropole and president of the climate agency l’Agence Energie Climat Bordeaux Gironde - confirmed the change on Twitter, in response to a question from a French account appearing to be associated with driving app Waze.
La réponse est simple, 100% : toute la @Villedebegles pic.twitter.com/RFtCW87oqc
— Clément Rossignol Puech (@clemrossignol) July 5, 2019
The mayor also said: “The aim is for our residents to take back their public space. Children, parents with prams, seniors, people with reduced mobility, cyclists, roller skaters, pedestrians, all have the right to move around in peace.”
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France