The amount of sums collected increased progressively in the first part of the period examined, before recording a slight contraction in the last year. In 2021, still affected by the effects of the health emergency on mobility, the revenue stopped at 1.2 billion euros. Twelve months later it reached 1.6 billion, rising further to 1.77 billion in 2023. The maximum was reached in 2024, when revenue came close to 2 billion, settling at 1.98 billion. In 2025, however, the total dropped to around 1.90 billion. The budget for the five-year period still remains above 8 billion euros, confirming the weight of the fines on territorial finances.
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The demographic size affects the overall volume of revenue. Municipalities with more than 250 thousand inhabitants obtained 2.8 billion euros between 2021 and 2025, while those with a population between 60 thousand and 250 thousand residents totaled approximately 1.4 billion. A similar amount was recorded in the range between 20 thousand and 60 thousand inhabitants, according to data reported by Codacons. However, fines also contribute to the coffers of smaller communities: in centers with less than 5 thousand residents the revenue came close to 500 million euros, while for those between 5 thousand and 10 thousand inhabitants it reached 593 million. Finally, for municipalities with a population between 10 thousand and 20 thousand people, the overall revenues stood at 791 million euros.
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A portion of the proceeds comes from electronic speed controls. In the 21 main Italian cities considered in the survey, speed cameras generated revenues of 306.5 million euros over the five years. Above all, Florence stands out, occupying first place with 86 million euros, over a quarter of the total recorded. Followed by Milan, with 52 million, and Genoa and Bologna, both close to 30 million. Further behind are Rome, with 25.5 million, Palermo, with 18.1 million, Venice, with 15.9 million, and Turin, with 15.6 million. Among the results that stand out there is also that of Potenza: its 14.2 million euros exceed the takings of several more populous centres.
On the contrary, Perugia, Catanzaro and Campobasso do not record municipal revenues attributable to speed cameras in the period considered. The absence of proceeds, however, does not necessarily demonstrate that there are no devices for detecting speed in the area: some devices may be located along roads managed by Provinces or other bodies, which are entitled to the related revenues. The ranking therefore concerns the sums included in the budgets of the individual Municipalities, without necessarily including all the revenues generated by road checks in the respective areas.
The evolution of revenue from speed cameras has not been uniform. In Florence, for example, revenue went from 3.9 million euros in 2021 to 19.7 million in 2025, after exceeding 23 million in 2022. In Milan the trend was the opposite: from almost 13 million recorded at the beginning of the period it fell to 6.9 million in the last year. Bologna, on the other hand, saw revenue increase from 4.8 million in 2021 to over 9.2 million in 2025. These variations cannot be considered a direct measure of the number of infringements committed by motorists. The presence and effective operation of the devices, the intensity of the controls and the ability to collect the contested sanctions are also influential.
The reform launched by the government introduces a revision of the amounts of numerous fines, with the aim of easing the penalties for various violations. Among the examples indicated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport are the minimum fines, which would increase from 26 to 25 euros and from 42 to 40 euros. The penalties currently set at 83 and 87 euros would instead both be increased to 80 euros. The provision also includes the suspension of the automatic biennial adjustment of the amounts to inflation. At the same time, more severe provisions are envisaged for some particularly dangerous behaviors. The new rules, however, are not yet in force. In the estimates released by the ministry in September, the revision of the sanctions was associated with an average reduction in the amounts in the order of 7%, although there were differences between individual violations. This percentage does not necessarily imply an equivalent reduction in collections: the revenue also depends on the quantity and type of infringements ascertained, as well as on the sums actually collected.
It is precisely the possible reduction in revenue that worries Codacons. If the amounts of fines decrease, given the same number of infringements contested and collection capacity, the Municipalities and other bodies involved may have fewer resources at their disposal. The extent of the impact will depend on the final provisions, the behavior of motorists and the surveillance activity carried out in the area. Furthermore, the purpose of traffic sanctions remains central: to discourage dangerous conduct and encourage compliance with the rules, rather than guaranteeing revenue for administrations. However, after a five-year period of around 8.5 billion euros, fines have become a significant component of local public accounts. Their downsizing could therefore force the bodies involved to deal with lower revenues, opening up a question that concerns not only motorists, but also the management of municipal resources.
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