France: Paris To Go 30 KPH? |
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File under France Travel
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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The French capital city, Paris, is run by a Mayor who already has expressed his dislike of motorcycles and scooters, and who is seconded by the Green party and other left-wing socialists. For years they have tried everything in their power to stop motorcycles (see related articles below), and even cars, from using their deformed and pothole ridden roads. Instead, they have (successfully) introduced a bicycle sharing plan.
Now their latest brainchild is two-fold: 1) limit the city's speed limit to 30 kph and 2) limit the ring road (Boulevard Peripherique) top speed at night to 50 kph (currently it is 80 kph).
 Taxi protest from 30 January 2008 |
At those speeds, they might just come out at say it as it is; they don't want any vehicles (except of course their own) riding in Paris. Imagine a big metropolitan city like Paris with a top speed of 30 kph. If there's no traffic jam, there will be one now. At these low speeds, how can you keep your motorcycle upright?
The ring road is a major artery, since it's used for all that have to go to the other side of Paris. It often has 5 or 6 lanes, and is used by all heavy commercial vehicles, like trucks, going from North Europe to South Europe and vice versa. At night, there is less traffic, and you can ride through it without much bother. But officially in name of "sound reduction", they want to bring down the speed to 50 kph.
Luckily, the Mayor doesn't have the authority to set these rules; that's up to the national police. And you can say what you want, the cops aren't crazy, or at least as crazy as the city hall folks. So hopefully they'll just laugh, buy them a croissant and coffee and go on with their other duties.
Via: Le Blog Moto
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