Paris Choked By Worst Winter Pollution In A Decade, Makes Public Transport Free

[Tennis]

http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/paris...t-free-1635275

PARIS: Paris was smothered on Wednesday by its worst winter pollution in a decade, with commuters enjoying free public transport and half of all cars ordered off the road to try to clear the air.
The surge in pollution has been driven by cold weather and near windless conditions that have trapped exhaust fumes, smoke from wood fires and other pollutants, according to the French capital's AirParif air monitoring service.

Although bad by Paris standards, current levels of fine airborne particles, or PM10, are around 60 per cent of those in Beijing and a fraction of readings in New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital.
City authorities announced traffic restrictions would be extended to Thursday, with a ban imposed on private cars with registration plates ending in odd numbers from between 5:30 am and midnight.

The rule has been in place since Tuesday, alternating between odd and even plates.

Public transport in the city was free for a second day running Wednesday, to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles at home, while school children were prevented from exercising outside.

"It's not the best time to be doing sport, that's clear," said David Ettinger, a 42-year-old teacher who uses the city's Velib cycle-hire service.

Mohamed Navhit, 29, a tricycle rickshaw driver plying his trade outside the Louvre, said he had been struggling with the air quality.

As a smoker, he noticed the deterioration, he said.

"It feels like I'm smoking 10 cigarettes instead of one."

"This is a record period (of pollution) for the last 10 years," Karine Leger of AirParif told AFP.

Fines for motorists

For more than a week now, PM10 readings have been at dangerously high levels of over 80 microgrammes per cubic metre of air particles, reaching 146 microgrammes/m3 last Thursday.

Other parts of France are also being choked by smog.

Officials in the southeast Rhone valley region said they would introduce measures to restrict car use from Friday to combat the problem in the city of Lyon.

The Greens candidate in next year's presidential election, Yannick Jadot, said politicians needed to target the most polluting vehicles and restrict the use of diesel engines.

"We have politicians who tell us they are looking after our health," Jadot said. "The reality is that when they have to choose between traffic, diesel and our health, unfortunately they don't choose our health."

Wow. Didn't this also happen in London recently?
Will this hurt tourism ?

[Deleted]

Current public transport causes more pollution and disease.