Rome to ban cars and scooters on Sunday as Italy fights smog

December 11, 2016 18:31

The mayor of Rome has placed a partial ban on vehicles in the Italian capital in an attempt to tackle the severe smog that has engulfed many of Italy's major cities.

Sunday will be a semi-car free day in the metropolis, with stringent restrictions imposed on traffic and police instructed to fine anyone who flouts the ban.

The move comes after a period of unseasonably calm and dry weather has allowed pollution to build up and smog to settle over many parts of the country.

Nitrogen dioxide levels in Rome have soared to significantly higher levels than deemed safe by European Union standards, leading Mayor Virginia Raggi to announce the city's first "eco-Sunday" to be held on 11 December.

Only vehicles deemed environmentally-friendly such as hybrids and electric cars will be exempt from the ban, running from 7.30 am to 12.30 pm and 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm with mopeds and motorcycles also ordered temporarily off the streets.

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