Thirteen mayors of Europe against governments: “Don’t stop cities from setting speed limits”. Among them Bologna, Florence and Milan

Thirteen mayors and deputy mayors of European cities against government initiatives aimed at preventing municipalities from implementing road safety measures, such as the introduction of lower speed limits and traffic control cameras. An open letter, published in the Financial Times, and signed by the administrators of Bologna, Florence and Milan […]

Thirteen mayors and deputy mayors of European cities against the initiatives of governments aimed at preventing municipalities from implementing road safety measuressuch as the introduction of speed limits lower and traffic control cameras. An open letter, published on Financial Timesand signed by the administrators of Bologna, Florence And Milan but also Amsterdam, Brussels And Helsinki.

Among the signatories there are also the mayor of BolognaMatteo Leporethe first citizen of Florence Dario Nardella and the deputy mayor and councilor for mobility of Milan, Arianna Censi. The letter talks about Italian government and its proposed revision of the Traffic Laws “which would severely hamper the ability of local authorities to create limited traffic areasto install Speed ​​Cameras and set lower speed limits.” The minister Matteo Salvinistrongly opposed to the “30 cities”, has repeatedly announced his intention to prevent – with a decree – too low speed limits in the entire city territory as well as having promised a close to speed cameras.

But there are not only references to Italy. In the letter the signatories also talk about a “plan for drivers”. England which aims to introduce equally restrictive measures, as in Germany, where the government has so far resisted efforts by more than a thousand municipalities who want greater control over local speed limits. “National policies like these, based not on science but on political expediency, damage the ability of local authorities to make decisions on improving the safety and health of their citizens”, underlining the mayors. Lower speed limits in urban areas – we read again in the text – “are preventing deaths and improving life today in cities across Europe” and it is not “a question of limiting the freedom of motorists, but of making the safer roads for everyonereduce noise andpollution and make the city more inviting to those who choose healthier forms of transportation such as walking and cycling.”