A city at a snail's pace: Toulouse 85% 30 km/h!
Drivers in Toulouse must be prepared for drastic changes. Currently, over half of the city's roads are already 30 km/h. Next year, this figure is set to rise to 85%!
The paradise for motorists in Toulouse seems to be giving way to a nightmare. Although the government has suspended the planned tightening of the environmental zone for next year, drivers will have to prepare for drastic speed limits. This is not to reduce pollution, but to "calm" traffic.
Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc and his colleagues have signed a resolution to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h on 85% of Toulouse's roads. Yes, you read that right - 85%! Doesn't that sound like a bad joke?
The previous speed limit of 50 km/h will become the exception and 30 km/h the rule. This decision was signed at the end of the municipal council on 1 December and will be fully implemented in 2024.
One tiny consolation remains for road users who regularly travel in the city centre: There is no intention to reduce 100% of the roads to 30 km/h. The main traffic axes, on which traffic, especially transit traffic, is important and on which there are strategic bus routes, will remain unaffected. But this is little consolation for those who have to adapt to the new "crawling" speed on the many other roads.
The decision is a slap in the face for motorists in Toulouse. They will be forced to drastically change the way they drive and get used to the new "snail's pace". It seems as if the city of Toulouse has declared war on motorists. An unfortunate development that will annoy many residents and visitors to the city.
After all, this measure is just another example of the ever-increasing regulation and restriction of driving in cities. While air quality and reducing emissions are important goals, the measures to achieve these goals seem to be becoming increasingly draconian. Drivers in Toulouse will be the victims of this policy. They will be forced to change their habits and restrict their right to free movement.
After all, the ZFE, where category 3 stickers were supposed to be banned at the beginning of next year, has been declared a vigilance zone. It will therefore first be observed how the air quality develops before further driving bans are imposed. Vehicles are therefore allowed to drive in, just very slowly.