Paris is under attack! Paris bans more than half cars due to pollution fears

Ministers acted after air pollution exceeded safe levels in Paris

From 5am Monday, 50% vehicles banned
Only Hybrid and electric vehicles will drive into Paris
All kind of trucks banned
Public transport and emergency services exempt

Paris officials have announced that more than half of diesel and petrol engine cars will be banned from today in Greater Paris. It is an attempt to reduce the health threatening polluted air clouds and smoke which has settled on Northern France. The official further said that from 5am on Monday, only odd numbers of cars with Electric and Hybrid drive systems will be allowed to enter and drive in the Ile-De-France. Only public transport like buses and taxis are allowed however, emergency vehicles and cars carrying three or more passengers are also exempt from the rule.

The Paris officials stressed on the wording that foreigners must obey the rules to avoid any mishaps and inconvenience while visiting Paris. These restrictions on traffic will continue till weather changes, on Tuesday. Paris is under attack from swear pollution since last Wednesday, where a run of warm and windless days and cold and dry nights has clamped the atmosphere of Paris. Microscopic particles released by automobiles, industry and agriculture have accumulated and formed an air-polluted cloud over the northern France and still rising to a dangerous level.

People are likely to be infected by pollution related diseases and a French lung specialist, Professor Jean-Philippe Derenne, said: “In 50 years I have never come across anyone who died from air pollution. Between those people who smoke two packets of cigarettes a day and those people who walk in the streets of Paris, there is not the beginning of a comparison.” Paris benefited from dazzling sunshine during the entire weekend. A light breeze abridged the pollution on Saturday and again on Sunday but now it has vanished.

However, the level of official “pollution alert” – 80 micrograms of micro particles for every cubic metre of air is likely to be exceeded again tomorrow and on Tuesday as the airstream drops. The government decided on Saturday night to enforce regulations on “alternate” use of cars which have not been activated since 1997.