Naples – The Naples ring road issue has reached the Chamber of Deputies, bringing with it the burden of tensions for an entire province. During Question Time, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini responded to questions about the controversial toll system affecting one of Europe's busiest arteries, characterizing the government's room for maneuver as severely limited by past constraints.
The legacy of 2009 and the shield of the convention
According to the Minister, the current tariff structure is not the result of recent decisions, but of an agreement signed in 2009 and approved the following year. This "safe" agreement has a residual validity of over a decade, being scheduled to expire only in 2037.
"Any proposal that would impact the toll model would change the current agreement," Salvini explained, emphasizing that the stretch of just 20 kilometers is governed by regulations that make immediate structural intervention difficult without incurring disputes with the concessionaire.
The Territory Revolt: A Bitter New Year's Eve for Commuters
The Minister's words, however, come amid extreme exasperation. Since January 1st of this year, yet another toll increase has been in effect, a shock to thousands of workers, students, and families who use the road daily to travel between Naples and its province.
Civic committees and citizens' associations throughout the metropolitan area have launched a permanent mobilization. The protests, which have multiplied in recent weeks, denounce how the ring road toll has become an "unsustainable burden" for a service often slowed by construction sites and traffic congestion. The inconveniences aren't just economic: the price increase is pushing many drivers onto ordinary roads, paralyzing city neighborhoods and neighboring municipalities.
MIT's goal: Hitting pay, not pockets
Despite contractual constraints, Salvini has outlined a possible solution in the negotiations with Autostrade per l'Italia (Aspi). The Ministry's stated intention is not to eliminate the toll (a possibility that would require a costly termination), but to impact the management company's profit margins.
"The clear objective is to minimize the concessionaires' remuneration rate," stated the head of the MIT. The government's strategy would therefore be to curb private sector profits in order to keep tolls unchanged for the foreseeable future, attempting to stem the spiral of price increases that is exasperating the Campania capital. It remains to be seen whether this move will be enough to quell the protests in the streets, which are clamoring for the definitive abolition of what is considered the most unfair toll in Italy.
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Starting January 1, 2026, the toll on the Naples Ring Road could rise from one euro to 1,05 euros. The increase is not yet official, but it is part of the toll increases announced by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which is expected to issue a decree on motorway price increases in the coming hours. At the national level,…
A politically charged exchange unfolded in Campolattaro, in the province of Benevento, during the inauguration of the dam and reservoir works. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, and Vincenzo De Luca, President of the Campania Region, exchanged scathing remarks from the stage, but at the end of the ceremony, they surprised everyone with a hug and even a goodbye kiss.
A gesture that drew smiles and snaps, sealing a day that saw moments of tension alternating with unexpected displays of cordiality. The same Salvini, speaking then to journalists, he commented on the attitude of the governor of Campania defining him as "autonomist": «I hope – he added – that words are followed by actions: I hope that De Luca let it not be autonomist at midday and centralist at two in the afternoon."
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article discusses a serious problem regarding the Naples ring road and tolls, but the solutions proposed by the Minister seem insufficient. Many commuters continue to complain about the rising costs that impact their pockets.