One of Europe's most polluted cities wants to ban cars from its centre

Milan, one of Italy’s busiest cities, has proposed banning cars from its centre.

Mayor Giuseppe Sala wants to reduce pollution in the traffic-heavy metropolis of 1.4 million people and said similar measures would follow.

If it gets the green light, the measure will come into force in 2024.

Authorities will use surveillance cameras to enforce the ban.

Milan is one of Europe’s most polluted cities. It has poor air quality due to the volume of fine particles, the pollutant which poses a risk to human health.

The maximum level considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a long-term average of no more than 5 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre).

Milan’s levels are almost four times the safe amount, at 19.7 μg/m3.

As part of a push to tackle the dangerous emission levels, Milan’s authorities have proposed a ban on private traffic in the city centre.

“It’s a small thing, but at the same time it’s a historic thing,” mayor Sala said during a festival to promote sustainability last week.

To enforce the ban, cameras will be installed along the Corso Venezia to record traffic and prevent entry to private cars.

Residents with a garage, anyone accessing car parking, taxis and public transport are exempt from the ban.

Those caught accessing the area unauthorised face a fine, though the mayor did not specify the sum.

The move will make some of Milan’s busiest areas more pedestrian-friendly, including the elegant Fashion Quadrilatero where many of the city’s high-end boutiques are located.

“We, like Milan, must be pioneers and have the courage and common sense to do things,” Sala told reporters at a climate change festival.

"I am not an antagonist of capitalism, but honestly seeing the parade of supercars in the centre which they then