When traffic on the Alpine passes isn’t brought to a standstill by the large number of cars, others use them as a race track. The local residents have had enough.
Bolzano – The Alpine clubs around the Dolomites have had enough. With the words “Enough is enough, the limit has been exceeded”, they are said to have addressed the authorities in Italy on Tuesday (3 September) to demand measures against the massive traffic congestion on the Alpine passes. The situation at the Sellajoch Pass in particular has now become critical.
“The traffic on the passes has now reached an unbearable level in the summer months, the influx of cars, sports cars and motorcycles is affecting the quality of life of both the residents and the tourists,” the Italian news portal quotes SALTO from a joint communication from several associations. This is said to have been signed by representatives of the South Tyrolean Alpine Association, the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) and the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT) from Val Badia, Val di Fassa, Val Gardena and Livinallongo. They represent around 3,700 mountain lovers in the region.
A small Alpine community is taking advantage of the high volume of traffic and has installed a speed camera. It is said that one million euros have already been collected in fines alone.
Excitement in Italy: Alpine valleys demand road closures in the passes around the Dolomites
The Alpine clubs are calling for a closure of road traffic between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. in summer. Residents, businesses and public transport are to be exempt from the regulation. “In the Dolomite valleys, alternative transport infrastructure such as cable cars is already sufficiently available,” SALTO However, it is necessary, for example, to extend the bus timetables.
According to information from The Dolomites A large part of the population in the affected regions lives from tourism. But many have now reached their personal limit. “It is not just the traffic on the passes, but also the now overloaded connecting roads,” said one of the representatives, Davide Schuen from the Lia da Munt Ladinia – Val Badia, quoted.
Alpine passes are not “private race tracks”: Italian population frustrated by traffic situation
Environmental initiatives have already tried to demonstrate against the massive volume of traffic on the Alpine passes in the past. A planned bicycle protest, for example, was banned by the Bolzano police department. According to Schuen, the planned action shows “that the population is fed up with the traffic chaos,” as well as the “sports cars and motorcycles that use the panoramic roads as private race tracks” and thus pollute the environment not only with noise but also with additional exhaust fumes.
AVS President Georg Simeoni also seems to have had enough. The Dolomites He further reported that he blamed the provincial administration for the current traffic situation. “For more than 20 years we have been demanding a solution to the traffic problem on the Dolomite passes,” Simeoni is quoted as saying. The administration has, however, hidden behind a lack of competence, a lack of staff and has not cooperated sufficiently with neighboring provinces.
In July, four mudslides hit the Gallo Pass to Livigno. Numerous tourists were suddenly stranded on the passes between Switzerland and Italy. (nz)
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