Drivers fume as Paris turns right bank of Seine into park

A woman rides a Velib self-service public bicycle on the banks of the river Seine on the opening day of the Paris Plages beach festival as summer temperatures hit Paris, France, July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris plans to turn a stretch of highway on the right bank of the river Seine into a pedestrian zone in an attempt to reduce pollution despite protests from drivers.

Every Sunday and for much of the summer Paris closes the Voie Georges Pompidou between the Louvre museum and the Place de la Bastille area to motor traffic, opening it to pedestrians and cyclists, but this year cars are not being allowed back as the city prepares to transform the area into a riverside park.