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Levels of pollutants in Milan's air are almost four times the safe amount. Milan, one of Italy’s busiest cities, has proposed banning cars from its centre.
Mayor Giuseppe Sala wants to reduce pollution in the traffic-heavy metropolis of 1.4 million people and said similar measures would follow. If it gets the green light, the measure will come into force in 2024. Authorities will use surveillance cameras to enforce the ban. Milan is one of the most polluted cities in Europe
Milan is one of Europe’s most polluted cities. It has poor air quality due to the volume of fine particles, the pollutant which poses a risk to human health. The maximum level considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a long-term average of no more than 5 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre). Milan’s levels are almost four times the safe amount, at 19.7 μg/m3.
Milan to ban cars from the city centre. As part of a push to tackle the dangerous emission levels, Milan’s authorities have proposed a ban on private traffic in the city centre. “It’s a small thing, but at the same time it’s a historic thing,” mayor Sala said during a festival to promote sustainability last week.
To enforce the ban, cameras will be installed along the Corso Venezia to record traffic and prevent entry to private cars. Residents with a garage, anyone accessing car parking, taxis and public transport are exempt from the ban.
Those caught accessing the area unauthorised face a fine, though the mayor did not specify the sum.The move will make some of Milan’s busiest areas more pedestrian-friendly, including the elegant Fashion Quadrilatero where many of the city’s high-end boutiques are located.
The mayor also suggested that there would be more reforms of this kind to follow. He said many of the fashion houses in the area where the ban will be enforced backed his proposal and even suggested making the zone pedestrianized.
