PARIS – The French authorities are hoping the streets of Paris will be safer, quieter and less dirty from Monday as a new speed limit for drivers of 30 km / h (19 mph) goes into effect.
The city wants to encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport, said Deputy Mayor David Belliard on Franceinfo radio. The new speed limit is designed to help reduce pollution, noise and the number of major accidents, he said.
“This is not an anti-auto measure,” said Belliard.
The 30 km / h limit already applies to around 60 percent of the Paris area, but now applies to the entire city. However, some major thoroughfares such as the Champs Elysees are exempt, with the maximum speed remaining at 50 km / h.
“We want to limit (vehicles) to essential trips,” said Belliard.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who won a second six-year term in 2020, has built kilometers of new bike paths, banned old diesel cars and made the Seine quiz car-free. It also reduces parking spaces in the city to limit car traffic.
The town hall has announced that the police will be lenient in applying the new speed limit for the first few weeks. Other French cities with a speed limit of 30 km / h are Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Toulouse.
