You’ve got to love the Italian sensibility; things are definitely black and white. Or maybe they’re not. It depends upon who’s screaming the loudest and who’s funding the politicians. Pass the chianti and let’s agree to disagree, OK?
It looks like the regional Trentino government (where Italy borders Austria) has issued a ban on motor vehicles across high mountain passes in the Dolomites. The ban includes both cars and motorcycles, but excludes busses because you have to ship the tourists into the quaint mountain villages somehow.
Of course the ban has it’s opponents, and many local authorities are refusing to enforce it since it will greatly diminish tourist traffic. At the moment, though, the pro-ban crowd (which includes famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner) appears to be winning, so plan your vacation travel accordingly.
The area, if you’ve never been, is as close to paradise for riders, drivers, hikers and climbers as you’re going to find on this planet. The residents are friendly (though don’t plan on them speaking English), the food is unbelievable, the scenery is breathtaking and the roads were designed by God himself. I hope the two factions work something out; if they don’t, we may have lost more than we realize.
Source: Two Wheels Blog