Fighting Pollution, Paris Imposes Partial Driving Ban

• France on 17 March 2014 introduced driving restrictions in Paris to tackle dangerous pollution levels. 
• Under the scheme drivers are allowed to use their cars only on alternate days, according to the odd or even numbers on their licence plates. 
• Paris is more prone to smog than other European capitals because of France's diesel subsidies and its high number of private car drivers.
• Electric and hybrid vehicles were exempted, as were cars with three or more passengers, the cars of public transport employees and those with foreign plates. 
• Cars with even-numbered license plates were allowed to park free.
• Drivers with odd-numbered plates were doubly lucky on Monday: Not only were they authorized to drive but also traffic jams in and around the city were reduced by as much as 60 percent.
• Pollution levels were expected to fall to near-average levels on Tuesday.
• With unseasonably warm days, cool nights and little wind, pollutants had settled in high concentrations over Paris and about 30 other French cities, especially in northern France.
• Particulate matter known as PM 10, or particulate matter of less than 10 microns in diameter, which can cause respiratory problems and general discomfort when inhaled, reached a concentration of about 140 micrograms per cubic meter of air last week, according to French and European measurements, well above the official alert level of 80. 
• The PM 10 concentration on an average day in Paris has been about 30 micrograms per cubic meter in recent years. By comparison, PM 10 readings in Beijing generally hover around 120, with peaks of more than 750, according to measurements by the American Embassy there.
• Paris last imposed a partial driving ban for one day in 1997. Whether the measure had any noticeable effect on pollution levels remains a matter of dispute.