This was the city’s first such initiative and was supported by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who told Le Parisien that the goal was to show that “Paris can operate without cars”.
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Private cars with petrol or diesel engines have been banned from many parts of central Paris on Sunday in an attempt to convince residents they could reduce pollution and congestion by living without them.
From 11:00 to 18:00, cars were banned in many Parisian neighbourhoods.
Paris, with its historic buildings blackened by exhaust fumes, is going car-less for a day.
The initiative takes place five days after World vehicle Free Day, which was observed September 22.
“But it’s a first and I think next year it will be even bigger”.
Mayors from Sao Paulo, Brussels and Bristol were in Paris to see the event kick off. Those who hit the road anyway must observe a 20 kilometre-per-hour (12.5 mph) speed limit. “It’s wonderful to be able to just ride freely and not worry about cars”. Paris looked very different for the day.
“If we want a city that is clean, handsome and green…”
Paris, this is your city without cars.
With pollution and haze a consistent problem, Paris has banned cars in the past as an emergency measure.
In other parts of the city, traffic movement will be restricted to 20km/hr.
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Twice in the past two years authorities have invoked drastic restrictions – which had not been used since 1997 – that forced half the cars off the road in the French capital and its surroundings in an effort to curb smog.
