Sticchi Damiani: “It is essential to establish the difference between historic and old vehicles”
03.16.2023
“Establishing, once and for all, the abysmal difference between historic vehicles and old vehicles is fundamental”. This was stated by the President of the Automobile Club of Italy, Angelo Sticchi Damiani, commenting on the work of the technical table set up in the Campidoglio by the President of the Mobility Commission of Rome, Giovanni Zannola, to settle the delicate issue of derogations from the driving bans on historic vehicles within the limited traffic zone of the Green Belt, which also includes the historic centre.
“Only in this way – explained the President of ACI – will we prevent thousands of unsafe and highly polluting cars or commercial vehicles from continuing to crowd the historic centers of our cities, with disastrous effects both from the point of view of safety and the environment. It is absurd and incomprehensible to maintain, for example, that vans such as the Scudo and Ducato or old off-road vehicles, which have no historical or collectible interest, can obtain certifications of historical significance and thus circumvent the bans on accessing the ZTL”.
“According to the ‘Safeguard List’, created and constantly updated by ACI Storico – underlined the ACI President – there are more than 2,400 out of 5,600 – more than 43% – cars of no value which, without having any right, boast the title of vehicles of historical importance. All cars that have a heavy negative impact on mobility, road safety and air quality in the capital”.
“Moreover, it is clearly false – pointed out Sticchi Damiani – to claim that the Safeguard List – the only serious tool that objectively distinguishes historic cars from old ones – privileges Ferraris. Those who say it have not read it carefully, since there are only 19 Ferrari models out of 1,107 and they represent 1.7% of the total number of models on the List!”
“If we really want to solve the problem once and for all – concluded the ACI President – we must stop making fun of ourselves and start thinking and behaving like serious people, setting aside economic interests and putting the good of the community, safety, of the quality of mobility and the environment and of culture, without clinging to anachronistic and anti-historical monopolies”.