Salvini is stepping up. “The 30 km/h limit across the city of Bologna does not seem to be a reasonable choice,” according to a memo from the Ministry of Transport, led by the leader of the Northern League. “The problems of citizens (especially workers) risk being greater than the benefits related to road safety, which still remains one of Minister Matteo Salvini’s absolute priorities,” we read in the press release. “The Porta Pia department is ready to open an urgent conversation with the Bolognese management to verify alternative solutions and prevent forcing and forward evasion, which risks being rejected even by judges, as was previously the case in Milan regarding liability for blind spot heavy vehicles devices” .
Bologna at 30 km per hour: new rules
Since the beginning of this week, Bologna has become the first major Italian city to impose a 30 per hour speed limit in many places; The maximum speed allowed on high-speed arteries remained at 50 per hour. With an organic design that is easy to understand and respect, the 30 km/h speed concerns approximately 70% of the entire city’s streets. When we only consider the area around the most densely populated part of the city, this rate reaches almost 90%. Speed camera tickets have already been issued.
Why is it a “sensible” limit?
There are those who complain: To go this slow, “you have to drive with your eyes fixed on the speedometer, like looking at your mobile phone,” one claims. But numbers never lie. If you are traveling at 50 miles per hour, the braking distance is 25 meters. It is 9 meters in 30. L.and people have a 90% chance of survival if hit by a car or truck traveling at 30 km/h, but less than 50% when traveling at 50 km/h or faster. The risk of death between a car and a pedestrian in a collision at 50 km/h is almost five times greater than in the same type of collision at 30 km/h. It is beneficial to proceed slowly to reduce accidents and deaths.
Until now, it was thought that other cities would soon follow Bologna’s example and reach a speed limit of 30 km per hour in their city centres. As the City of Bologna explained when announcing the news, switching to 30 “improves road safety, reducing accidents, deaths and serious injuries among all road users, starting with the most vulnerable”, but not only that: it “increases pedestrian travel” and makes cycling safer and more reliable. It reduces the emissions of smoke and climate-changing gases thanks to quiet roads, and makes traffic more fluid thanks to a more constant speed instead of constant stop-starts, which are very harmful in the city. It’s not as good for the environment and safety as arriving early; reduces noise; makes public space more beautiful and livable for people; It gives autonomy to children, the elderly and the disabled; It promotes social cohesion and neighborhood commerce in neighborhoods.”
The conflict quickly reached a political dimension
Mayor Matteo Lepore wanted to meet the relatives of road victims as his first act as mayor. as he said BolognaToday, The decision to set the maximum limit at 30 per hour faced major obstacles, both from the public and, perhaps above all, from fierce opposition from minority parties. In short, the incident became politicized. Fratelli d’Italia launched a petition to stop the decision; While the league called for a referendum, Forza Italia instead wrote directly to the President, asking for the measure to be stopped. The Dem junta continued on its way.
Turin at 30 km per hour: plan
Slower, more cautious, more livable. Turin was the first city to want to do what Bologna did. If last July the Municipality had given the official green light to the implementation of the “City at 30 km/h” project, 2024 will be the year of commitment to grounding in order to bring it even closer to this goal. the administration’s programmatic lines will be cut through the end of Mayor Stefano Lo Russo’s term. The idea adopted in Bologna since January 16 is to introduce a new speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour for most urban roads, except for high-speed axles, which will remain at 50 kilometers per hour. On the one hand there is certainly a need to eliminate traffic accident victims, but on the other hand there is a broader vision of implementing real urban redevelopment with the creation of ’30 neighbourhoods’ across the city for a more liveable and safer city. However, after the doubts expressed by MIT, everything seems to be in balance again.
22,600 deaths on European roads every year
Europe has long called for fewer cars in the city, increased speed limits of up to 30 kilometers per hour and an “EU Car Free Day”. Proposals for the future of urban mobility in Europe are included in the draft resolution approved by the European Parliament Transport Committee last year. MPs recalled that around 22,600 people die on European roads every year, and 39% of these fatal crashes occur in urban areas, where two-thirds of the victims are pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists. Hence the need to improve safety standards for “vulnerable” subjects.
Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
