MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) — The mayor of Paris plans to ban diesel cars from the city by 2020 in an effort to reduce air pollution and traffic in the French capital, The Telegraph reports.
“I want diesel cars out of Paris by 2020,” the newspaper quoted mayor Anne Hidalgo as saying Sunday in an interview to the French Journal du Dimanche.
"In the four central districts, apart from bikes, buses and taxis, the only vehicles allowed will be residents' cars, delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles," Hidalgo added.
According to The Telegraph, the measure will first be applied on weekends in the central districts of Paris and will later be extended to weekdays.
Hidalgo also plans to double bike lanes by 2020 as part of a 100 million Euro (about $123 million) bicycle development plan. According to the mayor, currently, 60 percent of Parisians do not own a car compared to 40 percent in 2011.
Paris is among the most densely populated cities in Europe with high levels of traffic around touristy sites in the city, according to The Telegraph. Due to periodic pollution, local authorities occasionally impose temporary speed limits and bans on vehicles.
