Today was a day of total blockade of the city (North). The recent controversy on pollution from fine particles and overcoming the limitations imposed by the European Union has focused almost exclusively on road traffic. It should be remembered that this is just one of the sources that contribute to the emission of particulates.
According to a study sponsored by ACI and is caused by the then APAT data, now merged nell'ISPRA - National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research - emissions of PM10 are divided as follows:
road transport 29% (including trucks and buses 9%, 8% cars, light commercial vehicles 5%, not due to Combustion 4%, 2% mopeds, motorcycles 1%);
emissions from power stations and industrial 25%;
other forms of transport (sea, air, rail) 15%;
domestic, commercial, institutional, 11%;
processes 10%;
10% natural combustion processes

If one were to stop completely absurd, even for road use, the problem would remain unresolved, creating other sources over 70% of these dangerous pollutants.

SO?
An integrated approach, acting in a coordinated manner by all sources. The solutions are already widely available and provide significant cost savings as well as to protect the environment and our health. For example, in addition to the simple foresight to adjust the thermostat on the heating temperature is not excessively high, the modern high-efficiency boilers and thermostatic valves allow a significant reduction in consumption. Not to mention what it would be essential to complete the conversion of plants to natural gas (to remedy, at least temporarily, are experimenting with solutions such as application of particle filters to diesel boilers). Even the industrial filters have now reached a good degree of effectiveness and efficiency. These are just some examples of how, wishing to act with resolve, the problem can be tackled successfully.

AND BLOCKS?
Their effectiveness is clearly limited in time and space, especially if implemented in a non-working days in which, however, the level of traffic can not be compared to weekdays. At most they can help reduce the pollution level of the day they are implemented, unless immediately return to the usual values ​​in the following days.
These interventions spot, dictated by the emergency, but are implemented after the occurrence of the emergency itself, perhaps the sole or principal purpose of avoiding penalties provided by European standards.
Moreover, it is patchy interventions, in which each local authority decides, further limiting the effectiveness of the measure. For example to block traffic scheduled for Sunday, join in Lombardy nine capitals of twelve, and even within individual provinces is very uneven (almost all the municipalities of the Province of Milan have decided not to join, only 2 of 132 attended), also in Piedmont there will be exceptions, both in the capitals, is common in the hinterland of Turin. Although there is conflict between the entities, since the regions do not always support this choice. Already in 2008 the ICA, in its manifesto presented to parliament and government, called for greater uniformity through the adoption of a standard framework that establishes uniform criteria by which local authorities can provide measures that restrict the vehicular traffic. In particular:
- Identification of the types of vehicles for which the movement, in relation to technological equipment (filters, Euro 5 engines, etc.).
- Determination of any tariff policy criteria for access to the inner cities;
- Identification of alternative transport to ensure the accessibility of city services to citizens;
- Establishment of a uniform signage for areas subject to limitation;
- Definition of methodologies for assessing environmental effectiveness analysis "before-after", to measure objectively the results of the measures, the results are communicated to the public.
Are interventions whose appearance / political demagogic and mass media is prevalent on the actual effectiveness, adoptees often just to show that administrators are not real estate on the front of the pollution.

What other initiatives?
Blocks, therefore, can not alone be decisive. It should be put in place a series of initiatives that can help reduce the contribution that road transport provides pollution.
Strengthening local public transport, especially rail, finally dedicating those investments in other European countries could achieve truly enviable utilization rates and completing the liberalization of the sector. Would be reduced so that in Italy these negative factors have always affected the use, in particular the transition frequencies and journey times (create bus lanes, for example, has an almost null cost effective and very high).
Encourage the replacement of vehicles, whose average age is still very high, despite the almost one million vehicles scrapped in 2009 due to the use of incentives. Those vehicles should be promoted more eco-friendly, both for the private sector for public transport (bus electric and natural gas, however, are no longer a novelty in the fleets of many cities).
Profoundly rethink the use of land, moving the poles of attraction of traffic from the center of the city and with a framework law establishing general criteria for the creation of new urban settlements, ending the typically Italian phenomenon in which transport infrastructure have to pursuit of settlements and not vice versa, as it should be done in a proper town planning.
Adopt, where necessary, measures of traffic regulation and limitation of movement (congestion charge, limited traffic areas, pedestrian areas, "zone 30").
To promote the realization of investments with adequate parking areas near points of exchange with the TPL (exchange the parking that currently exist, especially near metro stations or local trains, with great success).
To promote a rational system of paid parking, with rates differentiated by area and time, even in the underground areas. The construction of underground car parks should remain a priority and we think that it is possible to estimate that 15% in metropolitan areas of mobility is "useless", as dedicated to finding a parking space. It should also exercise decisive action now against the phenomenon of the wild and stay in double file, which creates many problems for traffic flow.
To train and educate the citizen to the responsible use of private vehicles in urban areas, reducing travel by car unless absolutely necessary. Promote eco-driving courses, called EcoDrive, which allow eco driving and limiting consumption (not just fuel, but also other parts of the vehicle can contribute in some way the emission of pollutants, such as tires and brakes).