Paris clamps down on older diesel cars

(EurActiv, 1 Jul 2019) Record-breaking temperatures recorded in France last week may have fizzled but the cars that were banned from Paris during the heatwave will remain off the road under new measures to banish smog.

Starting on Monday (1 July), the list of older, more polluting vehicles banned from the French capital during daytime will be expanded to include diesel cars, trucks and motorbikes dating back over 13 years – a move targeting tens of thousands of vehicles.

Motorists who flout the ban, which was trialled during the hot spell, face a €68 fine, rising to €135 for trucks and buses.

Beyond the city’s boundaries, the authorities are also clamping down on polluters in the 47 districts that make up the greater Paris region.

Starting Monday, the existing Paris ban on diesel vehicles of over 18 years and petrol vehicles of over 21 years will be extended to a new “low-emissions” belt surrounding the city.

The measure targets 30,000 vehicles in the greater Paris region, which is home to around 5.5 million people.

Unlike in central Paris, however, offenders in the suburbs, where car dependency is greater, face no punishment for the first two years of the ban. 

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EurActiv, 1 Jul 2019: Paris clamps down on older diesel cars