Paris to go "car free” for a day
Mayor Anne Hidalgo unveils plans for a “Journée sans voiture” as city prepares for major climate conference
PARIS will become “car free” for a day on Sunday, September 27, mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced.
It is part of the mayor's plan to cut pollution in the French capital and has been planned as part of the countdown to the climate conference held in Paris from November 30 to December 15.
Ms Hidalgo took to Twitter to announce the “Journée sans voiture” in the French capital earlier this week.
Le 27 septembre prochain, @Paris organisera sa première journée sans voiture #COP21 pic.twitter.com/RYCyjpEcSw— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) March 5, 2015
No details, however, have been made public so it is uncertain whether vehicles will be banned from the city completely, whether public transport will still run, or if a few main avenues like the Champs-Elysées will be affected.
Pollution spikes have long been a concern in Paris. Last March, authorities were forced to introduce restrictions on vehicles in the city as airborne pollution reached dangerous levels.
But plans to cut pollution in the city have met with anger. An announcement in January that the most polluting vehicles would be banned from the city from July this yearprompted a large-scale biker protest.
Meanwhile, a planned ban on wood fires in the city was overturned days before it was due to come into force.
Ms Hidalgo also wants to double the amount of cycle lanes as part of a €100million bike development plan, and roll out a fleet of electric-powered bikes, similar to the popular Vélib bike hire network.
Photo: Anne Hidalgo / Twitter
