Italy bans cars to combat smog and air pollution

A daytime traffic ban has been extended to include relatively clean Euro 5 diesel cars in Turin, as the city raises its air pollution alert level to "red". As a result, half-a-million cars and vans will not be able to drive on the city's roads between 8am and 7pm every day. In Milan, an "orange" warning is in force, limiting vehicles classified as having Euro 4 emission standards or lower. There are now similar traffic limitations in place across much of northern Italy. Earlier this year, a report from environmental organisation Legambiente, revealed that 25 cities in Italy had this year exceeded the EU's air quality standards by mid-October.