It is still only a proposal, but if it is up to a number of Italian provinces, access to the Dolomites will be limited from 2024. In the run-up to the 2026 Olympic Games, the “Low Emission Zone Dolomites” plan has been put on the table by the provinces.
Italy will host the 25th Winter Olympics in 2026, in both Milan and the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomites. This requires the necessary preparation and in that context the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Belluno and Veneto have drawn up the plan “Low Emission Zone Dolomites”.
The aim of the plan, which was already presented in October 2022, is to reduce emissions in traffic. However, there was no question of driving bans and the trigger word “Sound” in the modest announcement. However, in several interviews, the spokesman for the governor of South Tyrol, Daniel Alfreider, changed that shortly afterwards.
“We want less noise, we want fewer emissions and that requires a new legal construction. Our lawyers and jurists are working this out together with the ministry,” he told South Tyrol’s TGT Tagesschau.
When asked about engine noise by Germany’s Tour-Magazin, he replied: “We do not differentiate between vehicle types, but there are legal requirements that must be met. The police checked the passes very strictly this year. We live in a sensitive area!”
While the initially announced measures were rather insignificant, Alfreider’s statements painted a very clear picture. It is about nothing less than being able to control and limit traffic in the Dolomites. And about monetization.
It is in fact a toll and/or ticket system for riding on popular passes in the Dolomites. Particularly mentioned are Sella, Pordoi, Gardena and Campolongo, the Karerpass and the Stilfserjoch.
“The specific goal is to allocate vehicles, exclude particularly noisy vehicles and establish and enforce a maximum traffic volume through bookable roads,” continued Daniel Alfreider in the TGR. He hopes to be able to carry out the projects in 2024.
Alfreider wants to reduce traffic in the Dolomites by more than half and in return promote quiet and low-emission vehicles. As an example he mentions the Pragser Wildsee. A ticketing system was able to reduce traffic during core times from about 12,000 to 5,000 vehicles.
If there were no more tickets available, it was no longer possible to drive. The associated digital systems for registering license plates and collecting tolls have already been developed.
Despite the ambitious planning and the plans that already sound pretty concrete, it’s not all finished yet. Although the technical preparatory work is already underway, the approval of the responsible ministries in Rome is required for the implementation of the “Low Emission Zone” in the Dolomites.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.