The non-approved speed camerasinstalled in various municipalities of the province of Paduaare suspected of having been used not to improve road safety, but in order to generate economic revenue for local administrations. The investigation follows reports made by citizens and theAltvelox associationwhich denounces excessive and non-approved use of these devices.
The Padua Prosecutor’s Office opens investigations against some non-approved speed cameras
The issue of non-approved speed cameras has returned to the spotlightwith the Padua Prosecutor’s Office launching an investigation into nine devices installed in various provinces of Veneto. The objective of the investigation is to verify whether these speed detectors were used for purely economic purposes, rather than for the safety of citizens.
This story comes in a context already marked by the declarations of Minister of Infrastructure and TransportMatteo Salvini, who recently criticized the improper use of speed camerasreiterating that these tools must be used exclusively to prevent accidents and protect lives on the roads.
The municipalities involved in the scandal of non-approved speed cameras
The locations under investigation include Camposampiero, Carmignano di Brenta, Cittadella, Fontaniva, Galliera Veneta, Padua (in Corso Kennedy), Piove di Sacco and Villa del Conte. In the latter, the speed camera was the subject of a dramatic gesture last January, when a masked man, known as Fleximan, he knocked it down in protest.
The complaints came from citizens and the Altvelox associationwhich protects the rights of motorists. According to Altvelox, there would have been abuses by local administrationswhich could be accused of “false ideology” if it were demonstrated that the devices were installed only to increase revenue from fines, rather than for real safety needs.
The numbers of the Altvelox association
Between 2021 and 2023, 12 speed cameras generated revenues of 17 million euros. In particular, the appliances positioned along the SR53 they ended up in the crosshairs: the association claims that municipal administrations have never prepared or updated mandatory Security Plans since 1993, instead focusing only on the installation of detectors. What makes the situation worse, according to Altvelox, is the lack of approval of the devices, especially in the municipalities of Cittadella, Galliera Veneta, Fontaniva and Carmignano di Brenta.
Altvelox’s position on non-approved speed cameras in Padua
The president of Altvelox, Gianantonio Sottile, declared himself satisfied with the opening of the investigation by the Padua Prosecutor’s Office, praising its speed and hoping that other prosecutor’s offices will follow the same example. “We have always denounced the excessive number of speed cameras on a stretch of road of just 15 kilometres, a wide, straight road with few accidents”Sottile said. According to him, the objective of these devices is not security, but revenue: a considerable amount of 17 million euros was collected in just three years.
If on the one hand many motorists can breathe a sigh of relief with the cancellation of fines in some cases of non-approved speed camerason the other hand the jurisprudence is not uniform. Recently, in Vicenza, the Justice of the Peace rejected an appeal relating to a non-approved device, maintaining that “approval is equivalent to approval”. This has opened up a further front of uncertainty for motorists, who no longer know how to navigate between conflicting decisions.
Safety or profit? The drama on moral ethics
The heart of the issue raised by the investigation by the Padua Prosecutor’s Office goes beyond the simple verification of the compliance of speed cameras. There is a fundamental principle at play: Can road safety be subordinated to economic interests? This is the crucial point. Speed cameras, if used correctly, they represent a valid accident prevention tool. However, the abuse of these devices for purely financial (and greedy) purposes undermines citizens’ trust in local institutions. When a device created to protect becomes a symbol of oppression or a tool to make money, we risk losing sight of the main objective: saving lives.
The balance between prevention and economic management is not easy, but it must be pursued. The existence of non-approved speed cameras, placed without an adequate safety plan, raises legitimate doubts that deserve to be clarified at a legislative level. We need transparency and rigorous control, so that citizens do not find themselves victims of a system that, rather than guaranteeing their safety, penalizes them without just cause.
Read also:
→ New rules for speed cameras
→ Complete speed camera map in Italy
→ How to appeal a non-approved speed camera fine
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