59% of Parisians want to close the streets in front of schools to thermal vehicles

“There is an awareness,” enthuses Vincent Bezaguet, coordinator of The Street Is Ours. It is this coalition of associations that commissioned the YouGov institute to conduct a poll on air pollution, the results of which speak for themselves. 59% of Parisians [voir encadré pour la méthodologie] want the streets that pass in front of schools and nurseries to be closed to thermal vehicles, and 67% want their elected officials to do more to protect children from air pollution. Figures “unthinkable” ten years ago according to Vincent Bezaguet.

These aspirations are not only linked to children. An equally large number of residents of the capital (67%) would like politicians to do “more” to protect citizens from air pollution. In detail, they are also a large majority in wanting more public policies against polluting vehicles (55%), more measures in favor of travel on foot (62%), public transport (60%) and cycling ( 55%). And even 77% of them agree to want more green spaces and vegetation in their city.

Paris City Hall “is not doing enough”

“We are not surprised or surprised by these numbers. Who would want our children to be poisoned? It’s almost the 35% of people who don’t react that are amazing. It is the basis of ensuring our children good health. The starting point should be shared by all ”, comments Olivier Blond, general manager of the association Respire, which is part of La Rue Est A Nous. For this association manager, the town hall of Paris “is not doing enough”. “They made commitments, but very clearly the achievement is not up to the stakes. The town hall announces the vicinity of pedestrianized schools, but these are schools with little traffic. Schools where there are real problems are not taken care of, ”he said, citing the case of the elementary school on rue Vellefaux, in the 10th arrondissement.

Should we then go further, and ban polluting vehicles? On this question, the Parisians surveyed are not so decided. 47% “only” agree with this statement. An idea which also makes jump Pierre Chasseray, general delegate of the association 40 Millions of motorists. “If Parisians assume that they don’t want other people at home, they should accept that they are not welcome at other people’s homes. Ecology is a thing of rich bobos who consider that they do not want nuisance in front of their window. We have to make people understand that we cannot prohibit others from driving. Why wouldn’t the mayor of Juan-les-Pins say otherwise: “We forbid cars”? It is a manipulation of public opinion by using children. “

“We must review our lifestyles”

Vincent Bezaguet readily agrees that “in Paris, you can do without the car, in the suburbs it is less the case”. For the coordinator of the La Rue Est À Nous coalition, there is no question of “discriminatory measures” that would penalize those who have less money or live farther away. And to conclude: “We have to rethink the way we get around in Ile-de-France, we recommend a larger network of public transport. It is also essential that the buses are electric. And then we have to review our lifestyles, have shorter distances between housing and work. “

Note that the survey also questioned Lyonnaise and Lyonnais, who are almost as numerous as their counterparts in the capital (66%) to want politicians to do “more” to protect children from air pollution. and that the streets that pass in front of schools and nurseries be closed to thermal vehicles (54%).

In France, nearly 40,000 deaths are linked each year to too much exposure to fine particles and air pollution, according to a study by Public Health France. And even nearly 100,000 according to a British study. Each year more than 2,500 premature deaths could be avoided in Paris if the levels of nitrogen dioxide were as low as in the least polluted cities of Europe, estimates La Rue Est À Nous. In Lyon, nearly 450 premature deaths could be avoided each year.