Paris Pollution: Will a Car Ban Solve the Problem?

As of Monday, only half of the city's drivers in Paris will be allowed on the road any given day due to dangerous pollution levels in the area. 

For motorists with cars that have odd-numbered registration plates, they will be banned from the roads on Mondays. However, those wtih even-numbered registration plates will be allowed to drive again on Tuesday, with hundreds of police managing this new restriction. 

In 1997, officials tried to put a similar restriction in place in the hopes of cutting down on traffic pollution. 

According to various reports, parts of Paris during certain times of the day may have even worse air quality than Beijing. 

Prime Minister Francois Hollande agreed upon the new restriction, that many hope will ensure a better quality of life for those living in the area. 

"The Prime Minister is aware of the difficulties this could create for Parisians, but this extra step is required," the government said in a press release, according to CNN. 

On Friday, pollution levels hit 180 microgrammes of PM10 particulates per cubic metre, more than double the safe limit of 80, according to the BBC.  

However, some Parisans are not so certain of this solution. With one problem, arises another. 

"How will I get to work?" said a Warehouse worker Jean Sanglier who lives in the eastern Paris suburb of Chelles and drives to work in Neuilly-Plaisance, eight kilometres to the west, according to The Guardian. "It takes 20 minutes by road, and one and a half hours on public transport." He added that if he is fined, "it's my boss who's going to have to pay."

For those who ignore the ban, it could cost them up to $104 as well as the impounding of their vehicle, a ban that also applies to electric scooters and motorcycles. 

What do you think?