Rome Slows Traffic in Historic Centre as 30 km/h Limit Takes Effect
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Rome is easing off the accelerator. From now on, vehicles travelling through the historic centre will not be allowed to exceed 30 kilometres per hour.
The Mayor of the capital, Roberto Gualtieri, had been explicit a few days ago when addressing an audience of local police officers, stating that “Romans must learn to drive more slowly.” The launch, starting tomorrow, of a 30 km/h zone within the Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) moves squarely in that direction and implements a decision approved by the City Council on 13 November. The speed limit will also apply to major thoroughfares inside the ZTL, including Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via del Teatro Marcello and the Traforo tunnel.
According to Mobility Councillor Eugenio Patanè, there will be a transition and communication phase for residents until 15 February. At the same time, the head of the municipal police, Mario De Sclavi, has confirmed that enforcement checks will be strengthened.
The measure is framed as part of a broader effort to improve road safety in a city that recorded 124 road deaths and more than 30,000 accidents in 2025. Beyond the historic centre ZTL, City Hall plans to extend the 30 km/h limit to a further 1,000 streets across Rome. Additional speed-reduction initiatives include the installation of five new speed cameras on Via Cristoforo Colombo, adding to those already active on the Tangenziale and Viale Isacco Newton, which in their first days recorded around 1,500 violations per day.
The policy has, however, triggered political pushback. In November, the Rome president of Brothers of Italy, Marco Perissa, launched a protest mobilisation, describing the measures as “ideological” and unnecessary, and criticising what he called “top-down imposed ZTLs.” He argued instead for “real investments in safety and in citizens’ actual mobility needs.”
The League has echoed this opposition. Its group leader in City Hall, Fabrizio Santori, said the generalised 30 km/h limit in Rome’s historic centre is an ideological and approximate act that contradicts the Transport Ministry’s directive and is not based on a detailed, street-by-street technical assessment.
The concept of a “30 city,” however, did not originate in Rome. Bologna was the first major city to adopt the limit, and one year after its introduction, in 2024 compared with 2022–2023, the city recorded half the number of fatalities, fewer accidents and a reduction in injuries. The BolognaCittà30 website also reports lower pollution levels, more bicycles on the roads and increased use of public transport. Other Italian cities, including Milan, Turin and Lecce, have begun similar transitions towards a 30 km/h framework, and the national list may yet continue to grow.
