Paris is trying desperately to combat pollution. The city announced that starting July 1st, all pre-1997 model automobiles and motorcycles registered before 2000 will be banned from driving in the city center during weekdays.
By 2020, all cars will have to be registered after 2011 and The city will track the status of cars using color-coded chips, which will organize vehicles into six categories (electric/hydrogen are “first class” vehicles).
Though pre-1997 cars represent approximately 10% of the stock, they account for nearly half of all emissions in Paris.
This ban comes after Paris experienced quite horrific air pollution in the last few years, specifically a massive spike in March 2015 when the city's air quality drop lower than that of Beijing, China.
Parisian drivers will also need to register and get a window sticker. If you're caught in the city during the week with one of the banned cars, expect a fine of between $39 and $504 (€35-€450). The new rules follow a move last year that banned trucks registered before October 2001 from city streets during weekdays.
By banning some cars, Paris also will need to improve public transit options for those who are leaving their cars behind. A recent project/service was announced by the city to complement its successful bike share program: electric scooters. 1,000 Cityscoot scooters will make their way onto Paris’s streets by the end of the summer.
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