The most polluted Italian city is Turin with 47 microgrammes per cubic metre a year. Milan is hot on its heels with 44 microgrammes per cubic metre. Data given in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report at the end of September. By now the consequences are well known: tumours of the throat and the lungs, infantile leukaemias, respiratory failure, heart attacks.
In Turin and Milan people die of polluted air. The buildings of these cities have the colours of smog with shades that go from black on the ground floor to soft greys on the top floors. Pisapia has tackled the problem head on with a great idea: incentivising private transport. Straight after the start of his term of office, he increased the public transport fares. A measure that affects those who have decided to NOT pollute. An increase of 50% for urban fares! From one euro to one euro 50. The population of Milan has responded with enthusiasm. In the month of September less than six million tickets were purchased as compared to 7 million three hundred thousand in September last year. About a million and a half fewer in a month. People who chose the car for reasons of cost. In fact the fixed costs of a car are paid anyway: the road tax, insurance, coupons. The difference between the bus fare and the car is to be found in the price of petrol. The car becomes cheaper.
The boom in traffic has for a few days been at twice the guideline recommended maximum level for Pm10, in this case we cannot blame the central heating given the African heat of October. Pisapia’s move has been to stop the circulation of traffic on a Sunday. The day when there are no commuters and the people of Milan escape from the city. A way of taking us for a ride. The blame is put on the dryness of the air and the lack of wind. So as not to die, you have to do the rain dance. Meanwhile, Pisapia, with the money from the City Authorities, obtained even thanks to the increase in fares, is financing the cementification of Expo 2015. The city has in fact gained an extra one million seven hundred thousand euro from the increase in fares in September in spite of the collapse in passenger numbers. The city authorities will become shareholders in the company that manages the terrain for the Expo, called Arexpo, by putting in 32 million euro. Public transport should be facilitated. It should be free and the money should be raised by taxing cars coming into the city and making parking facilities available at the external access points. The circulation of vehicles with alternating registration plates should be brought in. Anyone who uses a car should pay the fare for those who use the tram, whereas in Milan anyone who pays the increase in tram fares is giving an incentive to the cement of Expo!

PS. Can someone tell me the whereabouts of Fassino? After being appointed mayor he called for the iron fist against the TAV and then he disappeared. Veni, Vici, Tav!