Paris to slap low speed limit on congested ring road

PARIS - Drivers on Paris’ vital, congested ring road will be limited to speeds of 50kmh from October, the French capital’s Mayor, Ms Anne Hidalgo, said on Sept 9, triggering outrage among opponents.

As well as raising hackles among drivers and conservatives, the Socialist Mayor also faces an uphill battle for approval from the national government and police.

That showdown is in suspense for now, as freshly installed Prime Minister Michel Barnier selects his ministers.

Crucial for road travel throughout the wider Ile-de-France region, Paris’ Boulevard Peripherique – known familiarly as the Periph – is under the authority of the capital’s City Hall.

“The 50kmh (limit) is my decision. It will happen on Oct 1. We’ve been working on it for 18 years, this isn’t a new topic,” Ms Hidalgo told broadcaster RTL.

A lower speed limit has been on the cards since January, when City Hall said it would come in after the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games that ended on Sept 8.

But the Transport Ministry has insisted that only the government can officially change the speed limit by issuing a decree, as the city’s power does not extend to the nationwide rules of the road.

Paris’ government-appointed police chief Laurent Nunez has also said he has a role to play.

Ms Hidalgo’s plans were decided “unilaterally” and “do not respect any of the recommendations” of a past report on the Peripherique, Conservative Republicans on the Paris city council wrote on X on Sept 9.

The Mayor’s Green Party deputy David Belliard said in January that the lower speed limit was “in the common interest”.

A previous reduction, from 80kmh to 70kmh, had reduced noise pollution for residents living near the road as well as accidents, he said, citing figures from environment agency Ademe.

“Lowering the maximum speed means limiting stop-start driving (and) acceleration and deceleration effects, which makes traffic move more smoothly,” Mr Belliard said. AFP