Milan’s Ecopass On Holiday

Last year, Milan’s Ecopass congestion charge system took a summer vacation, and this year it’s the same.  From Monday 3 to Friday 21 of August the Ecopass system will not operate, meaning that motorists can access the Ecopass designated area without having to pay.

This is good news for car driving tourists who might like to have a look at Milan, a city which boasts a spectacular cathedral, and houses artworks of international fame such as Da Vinci’s exceptional last supper, which is known as Il Cenacolo in Italy.  I believe the Last Supper may be viewed during August, but the official website was refusing to load today.  When it did play ball with my browser, so to speak, I was greeted with a message anouncing that the booking of visits to the Last Supper has been temporarily  suspended.  The announcement does not explain why or for how long, I’m sorry to say.

The magnificent Last Supper, which I have seen incidentally, is one of the many positive aspects of the quality of life in Italy’s northern mini-metropolis.  Another as aspect relating to quality of life, air quality in this case, could be the presence of, which I have not noticed before, certain insects in Milan .

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Excessive PM10 Levels in Milan

Despite the Ecopass pollution charge system which has been in force for more or less a year, PM10 levels in Milan Italy, and in areas around the city, have exceeded acceptable limits by as much as 4 times.

PM 10 levels have recently been measured at over 200 micrograms per cubic metre.

Local papers have been reporting this and a possible consequence is the increase in the number of people I’ve been seeing in Milan who have been wearing anti-smog masks.  In response the dangerously high pollution levels, Milan’s local police are to be issued with portable emissions checking devices.  Will this make any difference? Read more

Milan’s Ecopass Goes on Vacation

Milan’s Ecopass congestion charge, or congestion fee, is going to be put on hold between the 2 and 24 August 2008, Milan’s Mayor Moratti has recently promised. Note that this promise has not yet been turned into an official change in Ecopass policy.

This means that those coming to Italy who wish to visit Milan by car will probably not have to worry about how and where to pay this charge.

Be wary, though, of camera controlled areas in the centre of Milan that may well still be restricted to traffic, Ecopass or not.

If you do decide to spend a couple of days in Milan, and you stay in a hotel in the central part of the city, do remember to ask the hotel staff to report the details of your car, rented or not, to the local traffic authorities. This should help you avoid receiving a nice little fine some time later after your vacation here.

This temporary suspension of the Ecopass is a good idea, seeing as Milan is generally deserted in August, so traffic pollution levels will be at a minimum anyway, and not having to worry about these passes may encourage a few tourists to drop in, and maybe check out the vibrant night life down in the Navigli - Canal – area, which is just south of Milan city centre.

Nice move Mrs Moratti!

Milan’s Ecopass also took a break in 2009, for information, please see this post:  Milan’s Ecopass on Holiday

Update: Milan’s Ecopass was officially suspended for most of August 2008 – the reason given by Milan’s  official responsible for Mobility Edoardo Croci was that traffic levels in August are lower than in other months.

Source: Press Release, in Italian, from Milan Council: Ecopass sospeso dal 2 al 24 agosto – Translation:  Ecopass suspended from the 2 to 24 August 2008

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