No longer will stretch Hummers carrying dozens of stick-thin models to their catwalks rumble freely through the streets of central Milan. As of January 2, that city has joined London, Stockholm, and Singapore in implementing "congestion fees' for vehicles accessing 8 square kilometres in the city centre. Daily fees range from about $3 to $14, or up to $around $370 for a yearly pass. No worries, though, those scooters that look so cool when Italians ride them but somehow become ridiculous on American streets will still be exempt, along with certain other low-emissions vehicles.
Unhappily, the Times Online reports that the first day of the new system was chaotic, as drivers complained that online and phone payment systems weren't working properly. However, once the glitches are ironed out, the city hopes to pull in about $35 million annually from the program, 2/3 of which they plan to reinvest in public transit.
In London, an anti-congestion fee was initially successful at reducing traffic in the city core, but in the last year delays have returned to pre-implementation levels. However, over $600 million has been raised for public transit funding since 2003.
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