50cc scooters and self-driving cars on the ring road?

Roads and highways are prohibited for these vehicles limited to 50 km/h for obvious safety reasons. But what will happen on October 1st?

Anne Hidalgo has decided to limit the speed on the Paris ring road to 50 km/h starting October 1st. While the goal is commendable since it aims to reduce air and noise pollution, the impact on residents and transport professionals is simply catastrophic. And regarding the so-called pollutions, we are still waiting for more serious studies than the ones communicated so far that indicate a car makes more noise and pollutes more at 70 km/h than at 50. What about traffic jams and the alternating phases of acceleration and braking that are extremely polluting? And what about the constantly growing hybrid and electric fleet that often operates at 70 km/h in zero-emissions mode? As for the argument that the average speed on the ring road is anyway below 50 km/h, it seems to us more like an admission of failure on the part of Parisian elected officials.

The Paris ring road is by definition a fast lane made available to users, circling an urban area. This type of road aims to allow drivers to move quickly around the outskirts of the urban area, without needing to cross through it. This facilitates traffic flow by providing a wider road, with a higher speed, and reduces city traffic as well as dangers for pedestrians and users of soft mobility. At least, that’s what everyone thinks, except for a few people at the Paris city hall.

A harm for a harm

If the speed is reduced to 50 km/h, many motorists will be tempted to go through Paris instead of dealing with a half round of the ring road to get from one gate to the other. More pollution in Paris, more noise nuisances, and more risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and other scooter users. What a fine situation.

But the question of unlicensed means of transportation also arises. An electric scooter equivalent to 50cc or a Citroën AMI does not pollute and can perfectly integrate into a traffic flow at 50 km/h. Why then prohibit them from the ring road when they are allowed to travel on national roads limited to 110 km/h? The argument of lack of experience and training holds water, but perhaps more than a rushed training should be required before letting a young person ride a scooter? The money needed to replace the 70 km/h speed limit signs with 50 km/h signs could be much better used for training young drivers, but that’s another topic.

What might seem like a provocative question within a limit of 70 km/h ultimately makes perfect sense at 50 km/h. The objections fall as fast as the km/h. So, how about letting the Parisians vote, dear Madame Hidalgo? With the SUVs you have learned how to do it.

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