The government releases 480 million euros for road transport and announces over 150 million in new resources, but the truckers' protest does not stop. Self-employed drivers are maintaining their presence in various regions of the South while awaiting "concrete proposals" from the government at the next meeting, scheduled for a week. Sicily is an exception, with the lifting of the ban announced by the Sicilian Transporters Committee.
Supermarket shelves still remain empty, especially in the provinces of Caserta and Naples, but also in Molise and Lazio, where fruit and vegetables are especially scarce.
The protest of hauliers in Campania does not stop. At approximately 7:00 am, the junction with the A30 Caserta-Salerno was temporarily closed on the A1 Milan-Naples for those coming from Rome, due to the demonstration that is affecting the motorway. Currently, for the same reason, there are 3 km of queues in the stretch between Caserta Nord and the junction with the A30 towards Naples and 2 km of queues in the stretch between the barrier of Napoli Nord and Caserta Nord towards Rome. For the same reason, the Nocera Pagani station exiting from both origins is closed and the junction between the A1 and the SP1 Casoria is closed for those coming from Rome and heading towards the SS7 Appia.
"The threats and violence carried out by Richichi and a small part of the owners do not belong to us. We are all aware of the drama that the entire category is going through due to expensive diesel, but the difficulties cannot be resolved by cutting tires or threatening colleagues to force them to stop. We ask that the police protect us: we want to work". This is said by Salvatore Bella, coordinator of the Sicilian Transport Committee (Cts) who launches an appeal to the public security authorities, addressing directly the Prefect and the Police Commissioner of Catania, to arrange for an immediate and coordinated intervention by the police in the two key hubs of the city: the San Gregorio motorway toll booth and the port area. "Almost all of the members - says the CTS - demonstrate a firm desire to continue their work activities regularly. However, freedom of movement and the right to work are currently prevented by very serious news incidents: dozens of hauliers are effectively blocked and are subjected to direct threats from a group of individuals, headed by Giuseppe Richichi". Richichi is the president of the Sicilian road haulage companies association, based in Catania, which had confirmed the presence of "trucks and trucks in the Etna province of Misterbianco, in Tremestieri and also at the San Gregorio motorway toll booths, with around thirty vehicles".
More than a billion in funds have been released for hauliers. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, speaking on Radio Anchorio, explaining that 480 million are destined for expensive fuel between March and October and over 500 for vehicle renewal. Over 32 thousand applications were received for funds for high fuel prices. "There were 430 million to which we added 50 new ones to help with the high cost of fuel from March to October. It was a huge effort that covers 70% of the increased costs with a fixed price of diesel for those who use diesel for work. The goal is to get to the end of the year, hoping that these two damned wars that are leading to this chaos will end." 32 thousand applications have arrived, he said, and payments worth almost half a billion will begin today.
The mobilization of hauliers against high fuel prices and high costs of living in Campania continues. This morning, at the Salerno barrier of the A30, in Mercato San Severino, many trucks lined up despite the pouring rain. The protest is causing critical issues in the supply of fuel, not only for citizens at the distributors. Eav, a regional transport holding company, has announced possible reductions and suspensions of car services starting today and, in the absence of the restoration of fuel supplies, of some railway services from 24 October. A table has been set up in the Prefecture of Salerno to monitor the protest in the province and the critical issues relating to the supply of fuel, goods and essential services. The Prefecture of Naples is also involved, having activated a report collection service to monitor difficulties and prepare interventions to protect the distribution of medicines and other essential goods. There has been a rush to stock up on supplies since last weekend in many Campania supermarkets. Shortages of fresh products on shelves and in refrigerators are reported due to supply difficulties.
