Italy antitrust probes Atlantia’s motorway unit for not slicing tolls

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s competition watchdog reported on Wednesday it was investigating Atlantia’s motorway device Autostrade for every l’Italia (ASPI) for failing to reduce tolls, as beforehand requested by the regulator, on routes in which website traffic has been impacted by upkeep functions.

The antitrust was concentrating on the December 2019-January 2021 period of time and the business has minimized or scrapped tolls on routes less than servicing because 2020, ASPI explained in a assertion in reaction to the opening of the inquiry.

The highway operator said this decision above tolls experienced led to a profits drop of 77 million euros ($90.64 million) for the business over 2020-2021.

The watchdog experienced now fined the motorway operator 5 million euros in March for not slicing the tolls for freeway sections “with considerable traffic complications” due to highway is effective, it claimed in a assertion.

The company, which manages all-around 3,000 km of Italy’s motorway network, stated it was also acquiring a new cashback program – the to start with in Europe – which would reimburse travelers who have experienced delays.

The new task nonetheless requires to be finalised with the Transport Ministry and would be presented to the regulator as well, it additional.

($1 = .8503 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Pia Quaglia, editing by Giulia Segreti and Bernadette Baum)