Paris plans to ban coaches by 2024 to reduce traffic and promote climate protection, which will impact tourists.
Paris, the city of love, is a popular tourist destination that attracts visitors worldwide every year. With its stunning landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre, it has an unmistakable charm. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the Paris metropolitan area was one of the top three travel destinations in the EU in 2019, with 85 million overnight stays per year. However, mass tourism has its downsides, and it increases traffic and air pollution in the city. To tackle this issue, the city has introduced a climate protection package with a coach ban.
No more coaches at the Paris Center from 2024
From 2024 on, coaches will no longer be permitted to enter downtown Paris. Instead, there will be designated bus parking areas outside the city center. The deputy mayor of Paris, Jean-François Martins, already explained the reasons behind the bus ban in 2019. He stated that these buses run on diesel, which pollutes the air, and therefore must be banned by 2024, just like other diesel vehicles. Furthermore, they contribute to traffic congestion and park in an unorganized manner, which is one of the reasons why traffic in Paris is so chaotic.
Paris is taking further measures to protect the climate. The city plans to transform approximately 60,000 parking spaces into green spaces. Additionally, it intends to promote cycling by constructing 180 kilometers of cycle paths and installing 130,000 bicycle parking spaces by 2026. The city of Paris has recently announced that the center of the city will be reserved mainly for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport as part of its climate protection plan.
What are the consequences of the coach ban for tourists?
As a result of the bus ban, coach tourists will now have to switch to public transport like the Paris Metro on the outskirts of the city to travel to popular tourist attractions. However, this change could pose a problem for some visitors to Paris, as the French Fédération Nationale des Transports de Voyageurs (FNTV) warns in a statement. Coaches were essential for many groups of people, such as senior citizens, groups of children, or travelers carrying a lot of luggage, who may not be able to use traditional city public transport.
