Parisians and their mayor have had enough of massive pollution in the centre of their city and have launched an all out attack on car drivers.

“It’s only by making life hell for motorists that we will force them to give up their cars,” said Yves Contassot, the Green deputy mayor, who rides a bicycle. He and the Socialist mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, were elected three months ago on a Green mandate to restore the streets of Paris to pedestrians after decades of domination by motorists says the Telegraph website.

Expressways along the Seine have already been closed to traffic for a month, leaving them free for pedestrains, rollerbladers and cyclists. The move to create “civilised spaces” is being extended further by closing down traffic access in favour of cycle and bus lanes on many key artery routes while public transport is improved.

This has obviously not been popular with the motorists and Msieur Contassot has already been knocked off his bike on one of the new cyclepaths by a motorist. Hopefully they’ll stick to their decision and prompt Daimler driven civic leaders over here into similar action.