Eating ice cream or pizza on the street at midnight will go down in history in the northern area of Milan. The city council of the Italian city will promote an ordinance that will prohibit the consumption of any food and limit the terraces to preserve the tranquility of the neighbors, an initiative that has stirred up the restaurant sector.
On weekends and holidays the ban will begin at 12:30 a.m., while for street food vendors in crowded areas it will begin at 8:00 p.m.
The council's idea is to implement these restrictions in busy areas of the city, such as in the popular Navigli neighborhood, where thousands of young people gather every weekend, making it difficult for residents to rest.
The rule, published by the council on its website, will be in the allegations phase until next May 3, so it could undergo several changes.
But many are not happy with this initiative. Restaurateurs are opposed and protest because supermarkets would be authorized to sell food at night.
"If someone lives in one of these nightlife areas and leaves home with a drink, how do you prove that he did not buy it but that it was already his?" questioned the general secretary of the Confcommercio association, Marco Barbieri.
However, Mayor Giuseppe Sala defended the measure, claiming that he has "hundreds of reports from citizens who want to rest better at night," although he admitted "small corrections."
Milan, one of the cities with the greatest nightlife in the country, wants to protect "the tranquility and rest of its residents, as well as guarantee everyone's enjoyment of public space in some areas affected by the 'movida'" , a Spanish term used in Italy to talk about party areas.
