MILAN. From the Antitrust a fine of 5 million euros to Autostrade per l’Italia Spa for unfair commercial practice “The company – reads a note from the Antitrust – has not adjusted or reduced the toll in the sections where there are persistent and critical conditions of usability of the motorway service with long queues and long travel times, caused by the serious shortcomings on the part of the company in the management and maintenance of the infrastructures which required extraordinary interventions for safety “.
The Competition and Market Authority concluded the investigation started on 10 June 2020, sanctioning Autostrade per l’Italia Spa (Aspi), the concessionaire company for the management and maintenance of over 3,000 kilometers of motorway network in Italy. The Antitrust has ascertained an unfair commercial practice in relation to some conduct carried out on the A / 16 Napoli-Canosa, A / 14 Bologna-Taranto, A / 26 Genova Voltri-Gravellona Toce motorways and, for the parts within its competence, A / 7 Milan-Serravalle-Genoa, A / 10 Genoa-Savona-Ventimiglia and A / 12 Genoa-Rosignano. In particular – the Antitrust note reads – the Authority has ascertained a substantial reduction in traffic lanes and / or specific limitations – for long stretches of the aforementioned motorways – of the maximum speed allowed. This entailed a considerable disservice and a strong inconvenience to consumers in terms of queues, slowdowns and therefore much longer travel times, without providing for an adjustment or reduction of the amount requested as a toll from consumers. Agcom then found that the information methods on any reimbursement procedures were inadequate, as emerged in relation to the A / 14 Bologna-Taranto motorway, when the information provided was found to be omissive, inadequate, untimely, insufficient as regards the way of diffusion and not suitable to compensate for the inconvenience caused to users.
According to the Authority, the elements collected have shown that, in the last two years, the motorway sections in question have often been affected by significant inconveniences in terms of traffic and regular fluidity of circulation, due to serious shortcomings on the part of the company in the management and maintenance of the infrastructures entrusted to it in concession and the consequent massive extraordinary maintenance and safety measures of numerous motorway sections. The inconveniences occurred, in particular, in the Ligurian and Abruzzo-Marche area, also causing serious damage to the economy, especially in the secondary and tertiary sectors and to transport companies, due to the longer travel times of operators and the effects on businesses. recipients of the goods. For the Antitrust Authority, what happens is fully attributable to the responsibility of Aspi and integrates an unfair commercial practice in violation of articles 20, 22, 24 and 25 of the Consumer Code. For this reason, the Authority has applied a fine – equal to the maximum authorized – of 5 million euros. Autostrade per l’Italia SpA will also have to publish an extract of the provision on its website and in one of the national newspapers with the largest circulation.