PARIS: Paris was smothered Wednesday by its worst winter pollution in a decade, with commuters enjoying free public transport and half of all cars ordered off the road to try to clear the air.
The surge in pollution has been driven by cold weather and near windless conditions that have trapped exhaust fumes, smoke from wood fires and other pollutants, according to the French capital’s AirParif air monitoring service.
Although bad by Paris standards, current levels of fine airborne particles, or PM10, are around 60 percent of those in Beijing and a fraction of readings in New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital.
City authorities announced traffic restrictions would be extended to Thursday, with a ban imposed on private cars with registration plates ending in odd numbers from between 5:30 am (0430 GMT) and midnight.
The rule has been in place since Tuesday, alternating between odd and even plates.
Public transport in the city was free for a second day running Wednesday, to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles at home, while school children were prevented from exercising outside.
“It’s not the best time to be doing sport, that’s clear,” said David Ettinger, a 42-year-old teacher who uses the city’s Velib cycle-hire service.
Mohamed Navhit, 29, a tricycle rickshaw driver plying his trade outside the Louvre, said he had been struggling with the air quality.
As a smoker, he noticed the deterioration, he said.
“It feels like I’m smoking 10 cigarettes instead of one.”
“This is a record period (of pollution) for the last 10 years,”
