Paris bans half of cars to tackle new peak of pollution
PARIS — Paris has temporarily barred half of all cars from traveling on city streets and made public transportation free for the day as it battles a peak in pollution.
Facing red-alert levels of pollution since Nov. 30, Paris City Hall said the situation poses a significant risk to residents’ health. Authorities say pollution is due to weather conditions and a heavy dependence on diesel fuel.
To tackle what City Hall describes as an “exceptionally serious” crisis, Paris’s Velib bike-share and Autolib electric cars were made free Tuesday, as well as the Paris metro and bus services.