”If we want to make a serious intervention, we must have the courage to take strong action,” she writes.

Her comments followed the decision announced by Germany's highest administrative court on Tuesday, approving driving bans for older diesel cars in Stuttgart and Düsseldorf.

Rome is one of Europe's most congested cities and home to thousands of ancient monuments and statues that are threatened by pollution from diesel cars, among other things.

The city has previously made repeated attempts to ban older, more polluting vehicles from Rome's streets on days when emission levels are critically high.

Source: TT