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Paris to Ban Tour Buses From City Center

Paris Sustainability News
by Eben Diskin Jul 9, 2019

For reasons ranging from overcrowding to the negative environmental impact, many European cities are cracking down on tourism in city centers. Now, Paris is joining the fight. In an attempt to encourage more environmentally friendly travel like walking, cycling, or public transport, the city wants to ban tourist buses from the city center.

Emmanuel Gregoire, Paris’ deputy mayor, is fearful that Paris’ mass tourism could reach the same dangerous levels of Venice and Barcelona, and also claims that the negative effects like traffic, noise, and pollution caused by the buses aren’t welcome by local residents, so the government is introducing legislation to curb them.

According to Gregoire in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, the local government “no longer wants the total anarchy of tourist buses in Paris.” He goes on to explain that there will be a lot of places outside of the city proper for the buses to park — tourist buses will no longer be allowed in the heart of the city. Both guides and tourists will need to adapt with walking and cycling tours, and by using the French capital’s efficient public transportation network.

The new ban would apply to hop-on, hop-off double-decker buses, as well as international coaches owned by big tour companies.

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