“ALMIGHTY MESS”
Deputy mayor for transport David Belliard, a member of France’s Green party, said that the city was still working out how exactly the new rules would be enforced, and would establish a list of accepted documents in collaboration with police services.
Motorists themselves appeared unsure about the new rules.
“We’re not happy with this ban,” said the driver of a delivery van stopped by a police officer Monday (Nov 4) before being told that he could pass as “you’re working”, as she handed him an explanatory leaflet.
“I hope my residential parking sticker will be enough,” said a psychologist who rides her scooter through the zone each day.
Officials say they expect a noticeable improvement in terms of air and noise pollution from the measure, especially for the 110,000 residents of the four districts. Major thoroughfares like the Avenue de l’Opera, which runs from the old opera house to the Palais Royal, could see car traffic cut by a third.
Critics say the new rules will simply shift transit traffic to adjacent neighbourhoods such as the city’s historic Left Bank which is not covered by the ban.
“It’s going to be an almighty mess,” said Aurelien Veron, spokesman for the Changer Paris (Change Paris) opposition group in the Paris municipal council.
But city hall officials said projections showed that any additional traffic in neighbouring areas would be “extremely limited”.
Some shop owners, meanwhile, said they feared that traffic restrictions could hurt business.
“If city hall wants to kill local shops this is the way to do it,” said Patrick Aboukrat, regional president of France’s national clothes manufacturing association.
He told the “Echommerces” trade magazine that shop owners would challenge the new transit rules in court.
