It was an accolade that Sergio Baldazzi could have done without. The jeweller was on his way to work in central Bologna on Wednesday morning when he spotted two traffic police holding signs indicating the maximum speed limit of 30km/h, equivalent to 18mph.
Baldazzi had been driving at a steady 25km/h, so thought he was in the clear. As he continued his journey, he picked up speed, only to come across another squad of police, this time holding speed cameras.
Baldazzi is now renowned for being the first person in the Emilia-Romagna city to be hit with a speeding ticket after leaders enacted their bitterly contested Città 30 (City 30) concept in a drive to reduce road accidents, as well as air and noise pollution. The fines kick in at 36km/h.
Bologna is the first major city in Italy to enact such a measure, which applies to its network of principal urban roads.
“I knew it was the rule’s first day, but still, I was only going at 39kmh and now I hold the medal for being the first one to be fined,” Baldazzi told the Guardian. “It’s a bit laughable really.”
He swiftly paid the €29 (£25) penalty, because if it’s not settled within five days, it rises to €42.
The 30km/h limit has provoked fury among some drivers in the city, where the mayor, Matteo Lepore, has already banned traffic from the area surrounding the city’s “leaning tower”, called the Garisenda, while tests are carried out amid fears that the medieval structure is tilting a little too precariously.
On what local newspapers called “D-day”, a procession of cars brought traffic to a standstill in protest, while taxi drivers threatened to hike their fares in response to being forced to drive more slowly. A drivers’ protest outside city hall is planned for Friday afternoon – weather permitting – while Lepore’s rightwing opponents are plotting a referendum on the subject.
“There is a lot of anger in Bologna right now,” claimed Andrea Spettoli, one of the protest’s organisers. “The issue is not only getting fined – this law is completely changing lives.”
Spettoli said he’s been inundated with calls from people saying the new speed limit was making them late, whether arriving at work or dropping their children off to school. “One worker told me he no longer has time to drive home for lunch, so has to make do with a sandwich,” added Spettoli.
The previous speed limit was 50km/h (31mph).
Bus drivers have also expressed concern that the slower speed could disrupt timetables while others have argued that having to diligently keep an eye on their speedometer instead of the road could increase accidents.
Lepore’s administration took inspiration from other European cities, including Brussels, Paris, and Graz in Austria, which has had a similar measure in place since 1992. More than half of roads in London have a 20mph limit, equivalent to 32km/h.
Supporters of Bologna’s move argue that motorists will gradually adapt to the change as they have done in other places, and that it will take time for the measure to bear fruit.
“What is the price to pay for increased safety, less traffic, less noise and pollution?” Bologna30, a pro-City 30 group, said.
Valentina Orioli, Bologna’s councillor for mobility and public spaces, said that the administration was convinced that driving at 30km/h would bring benefits to the city. She said: “As has been demonstrated in other cities which have had this measure in place for years, the controls and sanctions concern all road users because the functioning of City 30 really depends on everyone following the rules.”
Lepore said the few fines handed out on the scheme’s first day – just seven including Baldazzi’s – was proof that most drivers were adapting to the new rule, even if begrudgingly.
“We will push forward as we are convinced that we will soon see results in terms of road safety,” he said.
