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The French government is attempting to lower smog levels in Paris, and officials are banning cars from driving on the historic Champs-Elysees Avenue on the first Sunday of every month.
According to CNBC.com, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo revealed the rule as part of the Paris Respire campaign, which also closes other popular streets to vehicles and makes museums in the city free of charge on the first Sunday of every month.
May 1 was originally supposed to be the first closure of Champs-Elysees Avenue, but the date was a holiday. Officials moved the start date back to May 8, which was a success for the city, leading other metropolitan areas in Europe to take similar steps to stop smog.
In a report from the World Health Organization, 42,000 premature deaths in France occur each year due to fine-particle air pollution, but France is far from the only country dealing with high levels of smog.
Officials in Delhi, India, have incorporated a new "odd-even" policy that requires cars with odd-numbered and even-numbered license plates to only drive every other day with the hope of reducing the number of vehicles on the road.
Another city dealing with air pollution is Beijing. The Chinese city declared a "red alert" day last December when smog levels reached 25 times worse than the recommended safe level. CNBC.com is reporting 1.4 million people have died in China due to air pollution.
Source: www.travelpulse.com
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