Milan traffic ban to combat smog

Milan's traffic ban, which was announced on Wednesday, is set to begin on Monday, December 28, and continue through Wednesday, December 30. It prohibits cars, motorcycles, and scooters from driving on the streets between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.

In a statement on the city's website, Milan mayor Giuliano Pisapia called on neighboring municipalities to also observe the traffic ban to increase the regional impact.

Residents of Milan are being offered a special rate on public transport that would see a single ticket costing 1.50 euro ($1.64) cover an entire day of travel on busses, trams, and subways. This measure was implemented on December 17 and runs until December 31.

This year, pollution in several parts of Italy has been particularly high, and the warm, dry winter has exacerbated the problem. Other cities including Rome have had to implement similar traffic restriction measures.

mz/jil (dpa, AFP)