Coach with sick Ukrainian children headed to the Burlo hospital in Trieste fined in Slovenia: he did not have a vignette

One thousand euro fine, but vehicles carrying out humanitarian missions are exempt from the toll (however, a 24-hour notice is required)

SLOVENIA. A bus carrying about twenty young Ukrainian patients on their way to Burlo Garofolo was fined in Slovenia with a 1,000 euro fine for not having a toll sticker. Toll from which vehicles carrying out humanitarian missions are exempt.

It happened on Saturday 12 March, according to a statement by the blue deputy Roberto Novelli, near Lom (Slovenia). “The diligent and inflexible controllers of Dars, the Slovenian motorway company – explains Novelli – did not hesitate to keep a bus with an Italian license plate in a parking area for a long time with children with serious illnesses on board, expected at Burlo Garofolo to continue the care. The fault of the drivers? Not having warned of the transit and not having proved with documents that it was a humanitarian trip, as if having twenty Ukrainian children on board was not enough. The motorway company regretted what had happened and suggested that the driver make an appeal, but the lack of sensitivity shown by the Dars staff and the useless obstacle to those who were doing good remains. Faced with the tragedy they are experiencing due to the war, in addition to the disease, for these little patients the forced stop will have been a trifle, but the shame of not having been able to manage an exceptional and painful case in a few minutes remains “.

The fine – the note recalls – was imposed because in Slovenia some vehicles, including buses, are required to have a sort of telepass to pay the motorway toll. With the outbreak of the war, free transit for vehicles carrying out humanitarian missions was ordered, subject to 24 hours’ notice. Information that the drivers did not have.