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Paris introduces 30kph road speed limit

A permanent speed limit on traffic of 30 kilometres-per-hour was introduced in Paris on Monday, except for a few arteries that include the Champs Elysées avenue, a measure justified by Mayor Anne Hidalgo on safety and environmental grounds.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

A speed limit of 30km/h (18mph) has come into force across Paris in a drive to improve the environment, reports BBC News.

The aim is to cut accidents, and reduce noise and pollution.

A poll suggests 59% of Parisians are in favour of the measure, but some businesses are among those opposed.

Two-thirds of the city was already subject to the limit before Monday's change, which has been pushed through by Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Several key routes will remain exempt though.

These include the Champs Elysées (50km/h) and the main ring road, the Boulevard Périférique (70 km/h).

Similar limits are already in force Grenoble and Lille, as well as Bilbao in Spain, and the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The measure is being introduced now so Parisians can get used to it during a period of lighter summer holiday traffic, city officials say.

Read more of this report from BBC News.