PARIS — Paris will cut the number of cars on the road in half beginning Monday and is making public transit free to combat a spike in pollution that has obscured even the Eiffel Tower under a smoggy haze.

The mayor’s office announced Saturday that only cars with odd-numbered plates will be permitted to drive Monday, as well as any electric or hybrid vehicles and any vehicles with more than three people. Public transit will be free, as will the electric car-sharing and bike sharing-programs.

Pollution has spiked in the Paris region since Wednesday, when the city briefly had the world’s dirtiest air, according to a monitoring company called Plume Labs.

Other cities in northern France affected by air pollution are also imposing various restrictions.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.