The European city battling to keep its speed limit

Bologna finds itself embroiled in a dispute over its 30 kph (19 mph) city centre speed limit, facing both a regional court ruling against the measure and strong opposition from Giorgia Meloni's national government.

The prominent northern Italian city implemented the 30 kph restriction in January 2024, becoming the first major Italian city to do so. In the year that followed, Bologna reported a 13 per cent reduction in road accidents and a significant 50 per cent drop in fatalities.

This success prompted the capital, Rome, to adopt a similar limit this month.

Despite these positive outcomes, Bologna's centre-left mayor, Matteo Lepore, reaffirmed his commitment to the policy on Wednesday.

His stance comes after a regional court sided with a single taxi driver who argued that the lower speed limits extended journey times and consequently reduced his earnings.

The city is now preparing a revised ordinance, detailing road-by-road justifications as requested by the court.

However, the initiative also faces resistance from national Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, a figure from the hard-right League party.

Mr Salvini stated on Thursday that 30 kph limits and speed cameras are only acceptable in sensitive areas, such as near schools or hospitals, and not "when you are declaring war on cars out of ideology."

Blanket speed restrictions are "unenforceable because if you have to get to work or take your kids to school and drive on two- or even three-lane roads, you obviously can't go at 30 kph," he also told public TV channel Rai 1.

In Rome, members of Prime Minister Meloni's rightist Brothers of Italy party called on the centre-left city government to scrap the new 30 kph speed rules there, saying they would otherwise file legal appeals against them.

Bologna Mayor Lepore said after the court ruling that the previous higher speed limits would temporarily return on some streets, but only until the updated measure is approved and Bologna can return to its long-term plan.

He argued the 30 kph limit would eventually prevail all over Italy, following European capitals such as London, Brussels, Paris and Helsinki which have embraced slower, safer streets, in some cases overriding strong opposition from motorists.