Lucrezia Ciotti The Ministry of the Interior is intensifying its surveillance of the truck drivers ' strike : 1.339 people have been identified , 71 reported, and 242 fined. Police are investigating intimidation, assaults, and slashed tires against truck drivers attempting to resume deliveries. In Campania, security guards have been placed for 500 heavy vehicles, while possible criminal infiltration of the protests against high fuel prices is being assessed.
Naples, Bari, and Calabria: increasingly empty shelves: Mayors and large-scale retailers sound alarm
The consequences of the protest are being felt especially in food distribution. The mayors of Naples and Bari , Gaetano Manfredi and Vito Leccese, have asked the government to bring forward the meeting with truckers scheduled for October 27th.
" The situation in the cities of Southern Italy remains extremely critical and risks worsening further as the hours pass ," they declared, highlighting supply difficulties and the risk of empty shelves and waste management problems. Problems are also present in Calabria , where supermarkets are reporting shortages of fresh produce, especially fruit and vegetables and fish. Gino Noto, CEO of Az Spa, which manages Coop stores in the region, told ANSA: " We are unable to supply our stores ."
He also reported intimidation and slashed tires of transporters intending to resume deliveries.
Meanwhile, the State Police have intensified checks in the province of Caserta, receiving reports of threats and damage . These operations have allowed the removal of security posts near Caserta and Mercato San Severino, while investigators are still investigating several incidents reported at the Teano toll booth and the San Nicola la Strada rest area.
Truckers' strike, Urso: "The Interior Ministry is identifying the truck drivers."
Truck drivers' protests against high fuel prices continue to cause disruption in several areas of Southern Italy , despite the government 's announced resources and the resumption of discussions with trade associations. The government has initiated a series of measures to restore the flow of goods and address any potential violations.
During question time in the Chamber of Deputies, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, clarified that even preventing the passage of trucks only, while allowing cars, could constitute a roadblock with criminal consequences , including imprisonment. " It's important, I believe it's significant and emblematic, that the transport associations themselves are asking us, and the Ministry of the Interior, to remove the roadblocks ," the minister stated.
According to data released by the Ministry of the Interior, 1.339 people have been identified , 71 have been reported , and 242 have been fined . Law enforcement has also arranged for escorts for numerous heavy vehicles, with 500 trucks escorted in Campania alone, to allow loading and unloading operations to resume. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has also convened a meeting with prefects and police chiefs of the affected provinces to raise awareness of possible criminal infiltration.
The risk of illegal interference is precisely at the heart of the government's concerns. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Edoardo Rixi, reported incidents in which the tires of dozens of trucks were damaged to prevent drivers from continuing their journeys. " We fear infiltration, even by organized gangs that have nothing to do with road haulage ," he stated.
Meanwhile, the associations Anita, Cna-Fita, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai, Fedit, Fiap, Sna Casartigiani, Confcooperative Lavoro e Servizi, Legacoop Produzione e Servizi, Unatras, and Assotir have called for immediate intervention by Minister Piantedosi to clear the roads. The government, for its part, has announced the release of €430 million for approximately 32 road haulage companies , another €50 million to offset the high diesel prices in September and October, and a further €590 million to support the renewal of heavy vehicles.