Paris officials are passing laws that could have a significant impact on how people get around in the city. One of the latest is a ban, set to take effect July 1, on all motorcycles registered before 2000, and all cars registered before 1997. Violators will be subject to fines.

While this ban is only effective during the weekdays and is confined to the city center, this is only the beginning. Eventually, there will be a city wide ban on all vehicles older than a decade. It is just a matter of time.

The French capital is notorious for its serious traffic problem and resulting dense smog. Over the last few years, air pollution in the city has steadily increased to the point that it is causing illness and even death. City officials decided that enough is enough. In 2015, trucks were banned, now older cars. It is hard to say where this is going or where it will stop.

Getting people out of their cars and into public transportation is the ultimate goal of the Paris ban. In theory it could be seen as a good thing. It would definitely reduce the street congestion as well as the smog. However, not everyone can afford a newer vehicle and those are the ones that critics fear will be hit the hardest. This segment of the population only makes up around 10 percent of the overall population, but still, those individuals could find that they are unable to drive to work or have access to valuable resources.

Classic car cruises could well be a thing of the past in Paris once the ban is fully in effect. Even if you aren’t relying on your classic as your sole mode of transportation, there is something romantic and adventurous about cruising the Paris streets, taking in the sights and enjoying all the city has to offer. That will be a sad, sad day in the French capital.

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