Paris Bans All Pre-1997 Cars During Weekdays to Fight Pollution

Starting this month, Paris is banning all cars built before 1997 from driving within city limits Monday through Friday in an effort to lower air pollution levels.  Paris has been struggling with smog for years and its pollution levels have briefly topped those in Beijing.  Similar to Mexico City and New Delhi, Paris banned even- and odd-numbered license plates on alternating days to fight smog earlier this year.  It has also championed cleaner transit options, such as bike- and electric car-sharing programs. 

Not everyone is enthused, however:  The French consumer group 40 Million Drivers said the ban could impact up to 500,000 vehicle owners in and around Paris, particularly low-income families.  "When you have an old car in France, it's because you don't have the money to buy a new one," Pierre Chasseray, the executive director of 40 Million Drivers, told NPR.  "Public transport is a solution, but it's not the solution for everybody."

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