Paris Considers Ban on Old Motorcycles and Cars

[argatoga]

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/11/1...cles-and-cars/

Motorcycles produced before 2002 may be banned from Paris‘ city center, if the mayor of the French city has his way.

Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has proposed a law that would ban cars built before 1997 and motorcycles built before 2002 from city streets by 2014. The goal is to clean up the air in the city by prohibiting older vehicles, a large source of air pollution.

Older vehicles would be barred from streets inside the Autoroute A86, a beltway that circles the Paris city center with a radius that varies from 5.0 to 9.9 miles.

“This is for our citizens. It’s a public health battle and we’ve been fighting since 2001 to try and make the air here more breathable,” Delanoe told councilors.

Critics say the proposed law would unfairly affect the poor who use older vehicles because they cannot afford newer ones.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]

[Spectre]

Can we ban the French instead?

[killpanda]

Yet another reason why I'm not going back to France anytime soon!

[The Spie]

You want air quality improvement in Paris? Encourage your citizens to actually bathe occasionally, Monsieur le mayor.

[chaos386]

I say they should ban all new cars and motorcycles from Paris's city center. Any vehicle that's there now can enter/exit freely, but no new ones will be allowed to enter Paris. Within weeks, there will be no more running vehicles in the city center and the pollution will be gone!

[British/Columbian]

Maybe if the mayor could keep his citizens from burning the existing cars he'd find the so-called pollution problem would improve on its own.

[argatoga]

I'm sensing PSA and Renault had some influence in this decision.

[Vette Boss]

I would consider condition of the car over age. Some sort of smog regulation, newer cars that aren't cared for can be worse than older cars that are cared for.

[SpitfireMK461]

I predict it won't happen.

[H0nzik]

As stupid as it is, in the end of the day it is still more benevolent than the system that's already in place in most German cities, at least for cars. Then again, the German system does a better job at pretending that it's about ecology, as it is determined by the emission standards, while this just goes by years.

[Speedtouch]

As long as they don't ban me on my way to the rest of Europe, I'm fine with whatever.

[Interrobang]

I'm sensing PSA and Renault had some influence in this decision.

You may very well have a point there ...

But that said, people actually living inside the A86-circle, won´t likley have many old cars. This is where the money is at ... but what this would hit would be taxis, commuters and small companies.

[Dr_Grip]

There will be an exemption for taxis. Cause otherwise they'll just go on strike forever.

[Matt2000]

It's their loss and I didn't want to go there anyway.

One thought though, what's going to happen to all the used car dealerships there? Admittedly 1997 is a long time ago but no doubt they'll lose a certain amount of custom from people who simply cannot drive to them.

[pepitko]

I would consider condition of the car over age. Some sort of smog regulation, newer cars that aren't cared for can be worse than older cars that are cared for.

I think the French regulations should be quite similar to ours. Here, cars have to pass emission tests and general condition test every 2 years after they are more than 4 years old. Motorcycles don't have to pass any emission tests at all and only have to pass the general condition test, too see if all lights and indicators are working, etc.

So in this respect, it makes sense to ban old motorcycles, because they never were and never will be subject to emission tests. And the older 2-stroke scooters have a tendency to smoke and smell quite badly.

[Dins]

Why not go the route many places in Germany have taken with the "Umweltplakette"? Which, you know, is totally popular.



Not that this is a terribly bright idea overall, but I wouldn't mind to see some of the heaps driving around France banned from going into city centers.

[killpanda]

There will be an exemption for taxis. Cause otherwise they'll just go on strike forever.

Don't worry, they'll find a reason to go on strike anyway.

[maxtortheone]

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/11/1...cles-and-cars/

[The Spie]

And the older 2-stroke scooters have a tendency to smoke and smell quite badly.

So does the average Frenchman.

[narf]

Why not go the route many places in Germany have taken with the "Umweltplakette"? Which, you know, is totally popular.



Not that this is a terribly bright idea overall, but I wouldn't mind to see some of the heaps driving around France banned from going into city centers.

Yeah, those were a totally great idea. You missed two categories though: