Ban on the circulation of historic cars Rome: appeal to the President of the Republic

The historic Italian Automotoclub and the historic registers of Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia, as certifying bodies, have presented an extraordinary appeal to the President of the Republic to obtain the annulment of the decrees and resolutions of the Region and the Regional Council of Lazio, the metropolitan city and the Municipality of Rome which prohibit the circulation of historic vehicles, since they are included without any distinction in the most dated and polluting fleet in circulation. The Italian motorcycle federation, which has always been very active in the attempt to dialogue with the Municipality of Rome to request the activation of appropriate derogations, has also been called into question as an interested party to support the initiative. “Almost 57 million vehicles circulate in Italy – explains Alberto Scuro, president of the Automotoclub Storico Italiano – and, of these, those over twenty years old are around 16 million. The percentage of the latter, which are certified as historical, is completely irrelevant, but in order to continue to represent a cultural and economic resource for our country, they must be able to be kept alive by activating specific exemptions concerning circulation. Despite being few and covering a very low average annual kilometer, estimated at around 1000 km, ASI does not ask the representatives of Rome Capital during the negotiation phase to always allow them to circulate freely, but to maintain certain time slots”. As of today, in fact, in Rome vintage vehicles and vehicles of historical and collectible interest pursuant to article 60 of the Highway Code may circulate only on the occasion of scheduled events.Specifically, on the territory of the metropolitan city of Rome, vehicles of daily use circulating, according to the data of the Civil Motorization, there are 4,040,078 and those with a Certificate of historical relevance registered with the Motorization are 9,945: a share equal to 0.25% of the total, which annually covers 0.014% of the kilometers traveled by vehicles for daily use (from the Fiva census and insurance company data) It is only for these vehicles that a derogation is requested, because, according to the ASI, certified historic vehicles are to be co nconsider themselves not decisive in terms of environmental impact, and their ability to circulate in a controlled manner is one of the protection and safeguard actions. In fact, the historic Italian Automotoclub has always maintained that if historic vehicles are not allowed to circulate, their progressive disappearance will lead to the disappearance of a whole world connected to them, causing enormous social, cultural and economic damage. “Asi has dialogued with the administration of Roma Capitale – explains the president of the historic Italian Automotoclub Alberto Scuro – bringing proposals aimed at the possibility of using historic vehicles only for recreational purposes and for slow tourism, therefore with time restrictions such as to avoid its daily and commuter use. We also propose to monitor, one year after the entry into force of any derogations, their effect, to evaluate possible corrective measures, with maximum transparency”.

Passion and slow tourism

—

The importance of the historic vehicles sector in Italy had already been demonstrated by a decree of the President of the Republic who in 2022 had agreed on the appropriateness of a different declination of the restrictions on circulation and the related exemptions with regard to historic vehicles, “which takes account of the safeguarding of the values ​​and interests of private collectors”. Even earlier, ASI had reached an important milestone, when the Head of State had accepted the appeal presented by the Federation to obtain the annulment of the decrees and resolutions of the Piedmont Region, the Metropolitan City and the Municipality of Turin on the bans on the circulation of vehicles historical: the application was presented at the end of 2019 and already in the following months the Piedmontese institutions had implemented the reasons of the ASI by launching the regional law of Piedmont 27/2020 for the Enhancement of vehicles of historical and collectible interest. “We expect – continues Scuro – that this new extraordinary appeal can also be accepted so that enthusiasts can also be protected in the capital, where the measures adopted are not proportional to the problem created by certified historic vehicles. We are also confident that the dialogue with the Municipality can continue to arrive at shared and satisfactory solutions for all”.

Historic vehicles in Turin

—

Going to look at the situation in the most important Italian cities, here’s what happens. With regard to Turin, the regional law of Piedmont is applied for the enhancement of historic vehicles: motor vehicles and motorcycles in possession of the Certificate of historical significance (Crs) registered with the Motorization, if with seniority of registration greater than 40 years are exempt from traffic restrictions; the same vehicles with seniority of registration between 20 and 39 years are excluded from the provisions of limitation to circulation on public holidays and days before public holidays.

HISTORIC VEHICLES IN MILAN

—

TO Milan, in Area C, there are exceptions for vehicles of historical interest, which can be accessed if equipped with a CRS with license plate registration on the MyAreaC online service (accesses in derogation are associated with the vehicle and not with the owner). With the exception of motorcycles, all other historic vehicles are required to purchase an entrance ticket. Access methods vary according to the age of the vehicles: historic vehicles between 20 and 39 years of age benefit from 25 days a year of access and circulation in Area C; the annuity is counted starting from 1 October, once the days granted have been exhausted, the vehicle will no longer be able to access and circulate until 30 September; unused days cannot be accumulated for the following year; historic vehicles over 40 years of age can instead circulate in Area C without restrictions.

Historic vehicles in other major cities

—

TO Venice vintage vehicles and vehicles of historical and collectible interest as defined by article 60 of the Highway Code may circulate during events, as well as Bologna applies the regional law according to which vehicles of historical and collecting interest can circulate on the occasion of events. Important milestone achieved by ASI also a Genoa, where the order to block the circulation of petrol vehicles up to Euro 1 and diesel up to Euro 3 comes into force on 1 March, but this ban excludes “motor vehicles, mopeds and motorcycles entered in the national registers of historic vehicles regularly certificates”. In the Municipalities of Trento and Bolzano all Euro 0 cars can circulate from 10 to 16 on working days and freely on Saturdays and public holidays, while in the provinces, historic vehicles over 20 years old and CRS registered in the Motorization can circulate freely. Finally a Florence vintage vehicles and vehicles of historical and collectible interest can circulate, ea Naples Euro 0 and Euro 1 cars, including those classified as vintage or historic, will stop from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 18.30.