Historic cars: the safeguard list is the only tool for regulating access to urban centres
24.02.2023
Sticchi Damiani: “ACI makes available to the Institutions every IT support capable of recognizing historic vehicles at urban gates, at no cost to the Municipalities and citizens”.
The Automobile Club of Italy is also attentive to urban mobility of historic vehicles, placing itself as an interlocutor of national and local institutions on this issue as well with proposals and projects to protect environmental sustainability, the efficiency of urban traffic systems and the large historic automotive heritage that the world envies us.
“Faced with the tout court blocks invoked by some local administrations to the detriment of real vintage cars – declares the president of ACI, Angelo Sticchi Damiani – the solution cannot be what has been proposed up to now by some associations, i.e. allowing access to the centers urban to all vehicles equipped with the certificate of historical relevance, as the same is issued to every car that has completed 20 years, if well preserved, regardless of the model. This would lead to irreversible damage in terms of pollution and road congestion, since at least 80% of the cars with this certificate are old rather than historic, used daily without any precautions because of questionable value”.
“On the other hand, a more effective selection is essential – continues the president of the Automobile Club of Italy – authorizing entry into urban centers only to the models listed in the Safeguard List, drawn up by ACI Storico in collaboration with authoritative experts and the most representative industry symbols. With this stringent and objective criterion, only 20% of the cars that in the last three years have obtained the certificate of historical relevance noted on the registration document would have the green light”.
“This solution – concludes Sticchi Damiani – can be pursued at no cost for the Administrations and for motorists: ACI Storico will be able to offer through ACI Informatica every technological support so that the cameras at the gates of the urban centers recognize from the license plate (and therefore from the PRA) the models listed in the Safeguard List, authorizing access automatically, without costly and cumbersome procedures for collectors of real historic cars. An epochal turning point not only for the sector, but for the entire mobility system with immediate protection for the health of citizens and the safety of urban roads”.