Ecopass

The Ecopass program was a traffic pollution charge implemented in Milan, Italy, as an urban toll for some motorists traveling within a designated traffic restricted zone or ZTL (Zone a Traffico Limitato), corresponding to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area and encircling around . The Ecopass was implemented as a one-year trial program on January 2, 2008, and later extended until December 31, 2009. A public consultation was planned to be conducted early in 2009 to decide if the charge becomes permanent. Subsequently, the current charge-scheme was prolonged until December 31, 2011 and starting from January 16, 2012 a new scheme (called Area C) was introduced, actually converting it from a pollution-charge to a conventional congestion charge. The primary purpose of the program was to reduce traffic and air pollution (it was based on a fee structure according to the vehicle's engine emission standards) and to use the funds raised through the charge to finance public transportation projects, cycle paths and green vehicles. This program was similar to the congestion pricing programs implemented in London and Stockholm, but actually corresponded to a variation of these pricing schemes as only vehicles with high-polluting engines entering the ZTL were charged, and the ones with older most polluting engines were banned. Milan has one of the highest European rates of car ownership, as more than half of Milan citizens use private cars and motorcycles, ranking second only after Rome, and among the highest in the world. The city also has the third-highest concentration of airborne particulate matter among large European cities, both in terms of average annual level and days of exceeding the European Union PM10 limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter, according to a 2007 study supported by several environmental groups. Due to its lingering air pollution problems and associated health problems, in 2007, and for a trial period, the city banned 170,000 older cars and motorcycles that do not pass strict environmental emission standards.