The Paris peripherique ring road now reserves its leftmost lane during rush hour for vehicles with at least two passengers, aiming to cut congestion and pollution. This initiative, supported by the Socialist-led city hall, is controversial, particularly among right-wing critics. Authorities have also lowered the speed limit from 70 km/h to 50 km/h. The measure, which includes public transport and certain vehicles, seeks to address significant air quality issues affecting local residents, where pollution levels correlate with health issues such as increased asthma rates among children.
"We want to reduce the number of cars on the road by optimising their passenger rate in order to reduce noise and air pollution," said David Belliard, deputy mayor in charge of transport.
"The ring road is the busiest urban motorway in Europe and it is a real health scandal. The half a million inhabitants who live on either side of this urban motorway are exposed to levels of pollution that are still far too high," added Dan Lert, deputy mayor in charge of environmental issues.
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