A ban on motorcycles and scooters that fall into the Euro 0 polluting category will be phased in from 1 January 2007 in Romes ZTL anello ferrovario an area inside the capitals green zone that extends to Piramide in the south, the Valle Aurelia stop on the metro A line in the west, just beyond Stazione Campi Sportivi in the north and Stazione Tiburtina in the east. The first phase will mean that anyone who is not resident within the anello ferrovario will be banned from driving Euro 0 motorcycles and scooters within the zone from 1 January. In the second phase, the ban will extend to include all residents within the anello ferrovario from 1 November.

Most motorcycles and scooters manufactured before 1999 fall into the Euro 0 category. A single Euro 0 vehicle running on a mixture of oil and fuel can emit the same quantity of pollutants into the atmosphere as 63 cars without catalytic converters running on petrol, according to ministry of the environment research. City authorities estimate that around 120,000 scooters will be affected.

Transgressors will receive a fine of 71, which will rise to 141 if the driver does not have a bollino blu vehicle pollution health-check certificate. Registered classic motorbikes will be exempt from the ban.

City authorities have also launched a series of incentives to encourage people to scrap their old motorcycle or scooter and buy a more environmentally friendly model (in the Euro 2 or 3 category). People will be reimbursed between 300-1,300 depending on how environmentally friendly and expensive the new model is. City authorities have announced they may also make a contribution to those scrapping an old motorbike (80) or scooter (50) who do not want to buy a new model. For more information and to see a map of the area involved, see www.comune.roma.it, www.assessoratoambiente.it, or tel. 060606.