Milan's version of London's congestion tax is paying dividends, with a higher-than-expected reduction in traffic, city authorities said on Tuesday.
The number of vehicles using the city centre has fallen 23% since the 'Ecopass' came into force nearly two weeks ago, said Milan traffic chief Edoardo Croci.
The levy has also reduced traffic outside the restricted area, with a 5% drop in vehicle numbers since its introduction.
The scheme, under which motorists pay a tax according to how much their vehicles pollute, was officially launched on January 2, although the real test came on January 7, as commuters returned to work after the Christmas break.
''These are excellent results, even if this is only the first 'real' week of the system,'' said Croci.
Although he urged caution, warning that a ''rebound'' was still possible, Croci was generally optimistic.
Overall, the system has so far outstripped official predictions, which were based on a six-week trial run.
Between Monday and Friday of last week, 74,654 vehicles entered the restricted zone, compared to an expected 97,450.
In addition, the predicted reduction in the most polluting vehicles entering the city centre has been confirmed, noted Croci. Since the Ecopass came into force, Milan has seen a 48% drop in private cars and a 22% fall in goods vehicles in this category.
Currently, around 20% of cars and 38.5% of goods vehicles entering the restricted area are obliged to pay for the privilege.
Despite predictions of chaos from motorists organizations, consumer groups and some politicians opposed to the scheme, the introduction of the charge has gone surprisingly smoothly.
The only real difficulty came the day before the Ecopass came into force, when both the website and phone line set up for advance payments crashed after being flooded with requests.
There was also some initial confusion over which of the city's 43 entry points were restricted to buses, and the morning rush hour has been starting earlier than usual, as motorists try to beat the charge's 7.30 am start.
But overall, traffic has been flowing smoothly and vehicle numbers are down.
Milan is the first Italian city to introduce a pollution tax and the handling of the scheme is being watched closely by mayors in other traffic-clogged cities up and down the peninsula.
Anyone driving a polluting car into the central area without paying the tax - up to 10 euros a day according to how 'dirty' the car is - will be automatically sent a 70-euro fine.
Motorbikes, scooters and new cars respecting the latest EU emission standards can enter for free.
The system requires drivers entering the designated area between 7.30 AM and 7.30 PM to purchase the Ecopass - either a day ticket or a multi-day pass - in advance or up to 24 hours after entering the centre.
It aims to reduce fine particle PM10 pollution by 30% and cut traffic volume by 10%.
The project, part of a 3.5-million-euro funding deal signed with the central government, has raised some concern in Milan.
Advance polls indicated support for the underlying goal although the local population was evenly divided on the Ecopass itself.
The scheme is part of a wider drive to improve the city's air pollution and transport. New parking restrictions have also been introduced, as well as 15 kilometres of bus lanes.
