City Limits Speed to 30km/h... "Feels Like Accidents Happen While Watching the Speedometer" Complaints

Bologna Mayor Implements Policy Since Last Month Despite Controversy
"Are You Telling Us to Crawl?" Complaints Persist Nationwide

In the northern Italian city of Bologna, limiting the maximum speed of vehicles in the city center to 30 km/h has resulted in a 15.8% decrease in traffic accidents over the course of one month.

On the 16th (local time), ANSA news agency cited an announcement from the Bologna City Council, reporting that during the first four weeks of the policy implementation from the 15th of last month to the 11th of this month, there were a total of 186 traffic accidents, including 1 fatal accident, 122 injury accidents (144 injured), and 63 minor collisions.

During the same period last year, a total of 221 accidents occurred, including 3 fatal accidents, 139 injury accidents (178 injured), and 79 minor collisions. The city council evaluated that "especially major accidents and pedestrian-related accidents have decreased as expected."

The vehicle speed limit measure, named ‘Citta 30’, was initiated by Matteo Lepore, the mayor of Bologna who took office in October 2021. To improve road safety and air quality, Mayor Lepore lowered the urban driving speed limit from the previous 50 km/h to 30 km/h starting mid-last month, making Bologna the first major city in Italy to implement such a restriction.

Northern Italian city Bologna

As a member of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD), he has frequently expressed his determination to reduce traffic accident fatalities in Bologna to zero and to decrease exhaust pollution and vehicle noise.

However, there was strong opposition to the measure. Bus drivers protested that slower speeds would make it difficult to adhere to bus schedules. Taxi drivers also expressed concerns about reduced revenue due to the speed reduction. Residents complained, saying, "Are we supposed to crawl on the roads?" and some argued that focusing on the speedometer instead of the road could actually increase accidents.

As the controversy grew, even the central government intervened. On the 16th of last month, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport issued a statement criticizing the policy as "an unreasonable system where the inconvenience to citizens outweighs the benefits of road safety." However, Mayor Lepore responded by saying, "Drivers are gradually adapting to the change," and insisted that there are no plans to withdraw the policy.

Although a month has passed since the policy was implemented, the debate continues. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, who has opposed the measure from the beginning, once again demanded that the Bologna authorities apply the speed limit only to certain roads rather than the entire city center.

During a government inquiry session in the Senate the day before, Minister Salvini emphasized, "According to regulations, speed limits can only be reduced in sensitive areas such as near schools," and stated, "The Bologna authorities must comply with the ordinance."