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Introduction
The National Decree 60/2002 implements two Air Quality
Daughter Directives and fixes new limit values for atmospheric pollutants that
should be met, depending to the chosen parameter, by 2005.
During 2002, PM10 air quality data supplied by
ARPAV (Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment) on Mestre urban area have shown:
- 78 days exceeding 24h limit value plus
the 2002 margin of tolerance for human health protection (65 mg/m3), to be compared
with the maximum of 35 required by legislation;
- an average value of 46 mg/m3 in the urban area,
exceeding both the value recorded the previous year and the 2002 margin of
tolerance (44.8 mg/m3).
As for year 2003:
- between 01.01.2003 and 10.26.2003,
there were 85 days when at least one of the three urban area PM10
monitoring stations recorded an exceedance of the 24h
limit value plus the 2003 margin of tolerance for human health protection (60 mg/m3), to be compared
with the maximum of 35 required by legislation.
In the designation of the regional
territory zoning carried out by the Veneto Region following the D.Lgs. 351/99 (92/62/EC Framework Directive
implementation), the City of Venice has been included, with reference to PM10,
benzo(a)pyrene and NO2,
in the “A zone”, that is the critical zone where it is necessary to implement
Action Plans to reduce air pollution by these pollutants. This zoning is defined within the Regional Air Quality Plan.
Awaiting the final approval the Regional Air Quality
Plan’s, which also settles the implementation and application competencies on
air quality Action Plans and Programmes, the Municipal Administration has
adopted the “Padua Charter”, an agreement protocol between the Councillors of
the seven Veneto provincial capital cities (Belluno, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, Vicenza) to control PM10 daily exceedances.
The “Padua Charter” is a communal system of
measures to restrict traffic. It enables coordination on a wider and more
homogeneous area in the provincial
capital cities in case of PM10 limit value
exceedance. The aim is not only a lower number of
circulating cars, but also to stimulate and convince the population to use
public transportation.
The “Padua Charter”
contents
The agreement protocol identifies a program relating
to restrictions of private traffic in relation to:
-
implementation
days for the measures;
-
traffic
block hours;
-
vehicles
subjected to restrictive measures;
-
means
of transportation benefiting from exemptions to restrictions.
The program includes a block
(ban) of non-catalytic vehicles in the Veneto cities on Thursday and Friday
from 9 to 19h. This ban applies form November to March. Also diesel Euro I cars
and commercial means of transportation are treated as non-catalytic.
From January, should the daily average of 55 μg/m3
be exceeded for 20 days (even if non-consecutive), the second measure is banning
odd/even license plate catalytic vehicles, on Thursday and Friday from 9 to
19h.
In addition, a protection threshold has been defined:
should the PM10 concentration be higher than 55 μg/m3
for 10 days consecutively, we have a total circulation block on the
following Sunday.
Mayor of
Venice Ordinance
In
compliance with the “Padua Charter”, the Mayor of Venice has issued the
following ordinance.
1. Preventive traffic
block
In the period between November 2003 and March
2004 all Thursdays and Fridays from 09:00h to 19:00h the traffic circulation
within the identified municipal area is forbidden, for the following internal
combustion engine vehicles categories, whatever their use:
- diesel cars,
registered before 01.01.1997 (non ecodiesel and Euro
I);
- diesel motor vehicles (buses,
people transportation vehicles, trucks, road caterpillars, specific
transportation vehicles, special transportation vehicles, trailer trucks, vans,
autocaravans, working machines), registered before
10.01.1997 (non-ecodiesel and Euro I);
- cars registered before
01.01.1997 (non-catalytic);
- two-stroke engine
motor vehicles and motor-bicycles, registered before 01.01.2000 (non
catalytic).
The
block does not involve catalytic converter vehicles, even though registered
before the dates mentioned, providing that the type of converter is inferable
from the registration book or certified by proper record of the Road Traffic
Authorities, in conformity with the specific European Legislation.
2. Odd/even license plates circulation
In the period between January 2004 and March
2004, following an exceedance of 20 days, also non-consecutive,
of the 55 μg/m3 PM10 parameter limit value (recorded
by the majority of the Veneto
operating monitoring stations and certified by ARPAV – Regional Air
Observatory), odd/even license plate
traffic circulation all Thursdays and Fridays from 09:00 to 19:00 of catalytic
vehicles, in the municipal area identified by the Administration, with the
following modalities:
- if it is an even day
only even license plates vehicles can circulate;
- if it is an odd day
only odd license plates vehicles can
circulate.
Exemption
to the limitation are two-stroke engine motor vehicles and motor-bicyles, registered after 01.01.2000 (catalytic) and
four-stroke motor vehicles.
During the same days and hours the previous article (point
1.) is still in order.
Putting the restriction in force is
communicated by the Mayor by means of the
usual media and, anyway, begins from the week following the reception of the ARPAV communication.
3. Total traffic block
In the period between January 2004 and March
2004, following an exceedance at municipal level for
9 consecutive days of 55 μg/m3 PM10, total traffic
block of all internal combustion engine vehicles the following Sunday from
09:00 to 19:00 in the identified municipal area.
Putting the measure in force is communicated
by the Mayor by means of the usual media, except if the block is revoked in the
case of favourable ARPAV Regional Meteorological Center
weather forecast.
There are exceptions,
that is, a number of vehicles is not affected by these traffic circulation
measures. Among these are the Blue Sticker vehicles, which are anyway subject
to road circulation limitations as provided for by the Ordinance.
“Blue Sticker” Emissions Control System
To fight pollution, from 12.01.2003 the Blue
Sticker prescription has been extended to the whole municipal territory, in
order to certify the vehicle emissions control.
The Blue Sticker is applied to the car windscreen. It
means that the car conforms to pollutant emission regulations and has
successfully passed the special test that must be made at workshops and garages
displaying the special poster. The test verifies if the car’s engine is always
tuned correctly to ensure low fuel consumption and low pollution combustion.
This special emission
control system applies to all the cars registered in the Province of Venice
and/or belonging to people or bodies residing in or with head office in the
Province of Venice with a carrying capacity of up to 35 quintals, running on
petrol or diesel and registered for more than four years. Motorcycles and cars
registered as "vintage cars" are excluded.
The Blue Sticker is
essential to enable the car to enter some central areas of the city (Mestre and Marghera). It remains valid for one year (six months for
vehicles registered before January 1st, 1988). |