Goodbye to motorway toll booths, free flow is coming: how it works and what is at risk

ROME – In France, Spain and Portugal it is already a reality. In our country they are starting to appear on the Northern routes - more or less 200 kilometers - but little by little they will extend along the entire network. Off to “free flow”, literally free flow. Result: goodbye to the bars in front of the toll booths, only hi-tech cameras and sensors will monitor the toll.

Electronic devices

For those who are already equipped with a device such as Telepass, UnipolMove or other electronic systems to pay the toll, little changes. For everyone else, much more, because forgetting to pay the account with the dealer within 15 days - via app, website or dedicated counters - can cost you dearly. First a payment reminder, with the related notification costs, of course. Then a traffic fine.

The fines

Because failure to pay the motorway toll, if not regularized after the first postal reminder, sent to the police, violates article 176 of the Highway Code. And this triggers an administrative fine ranging from 87 to 344 euros, the loss of 2 points on the driving license and the obligation to pay the original toll with all the increases, the so-called debt assessment and recovery charges.

The Italian routes

Italy has already said goodbye to barriers and toll booths on routes of around 200 kilometres, overall: the A33 Asti-Cuneo, the Pedemontana Lombarda (A36), the Como (A59) and Varese (A60) ring roads, as well as the Ospitaletto-Montichiari link which leads to the A21 Piacenza-Brescia.

The risk of fraud