Street to be completely pedestrianised at weekends and public holidays.

The last sitting of Rome's administration under its mayor Ignazio Marino, just before he withdrew his resignation, approved the total 24-hour pedestrianisation of Via dei Fori Imperiali on weekends and public holidays for one year.

The street's pedestrianisation, one of the Marino's favourite projects and a central plank of his election campaign, takes effect on an experimental basis from 26 December until the same date in 2016. The street will also be completely traffic-free during the Christmas holidays from 25 December to 6 January.

The city's resolution falls short of Marino's plan to ban traffic completely from the street, which links Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum and divides the the two sides of the Roman Forum.

Under the new legislation, buses and taxis will be prohibited from using Via dei Fori Imperiali at weekends and public holidays. Currently the street is closed to private vehicles but city buses and taxis can circulate from Piazza Venezia to Largo Corrado Ricci, at the turn-off to Via Cavour. Only buses have access the whole way, from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum.

The move will require the re-routing of some 15 buses, most of which connect the S. Giovanni district, and beyond, to the city centre during the days affected.

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