An Italian man in his 70s filled a ‘pothole’ (road pit) called landmines on the road himself, and received a fine and an order to restore it to its original state, let alone a reward from the authorities, causing controversy.
According to the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on the 15th (local time), Claudio Trenta (72), who lives in Barlasina, Lombardy, Northern Italy, received an absurd fine on the 10th.
He had previously filled a pothole in the road himself, and the authorities fined him 662 euros (about 970,000 won) for violating road laws. He also warned that if the fine is not paid within 5 days, he will have to pay 882 euros (about 1.29 million won).
The man has been posting pictures on Facebook pointing out the poor road conditions in the area full of pot-to-holes. He reported the pothole to the authorities, but when no action was taken, he repaired it at his own expense and received a fine.
It didn’t end with a fine. He was even ordered to restore the pothole.
When Trenta posted the story on Facebook, the incident became a hot topic not only in Italy but also around the world. Foreign media outlets such as the British daily Guardian also reported on it.
A commenter on Facebook criticized, “I sent a protest email to the Barlasina authorities today,” and “the road has turned into a sieve (filtering powder, etc.) because there are too many potholes.”
Vice Minister of Culture Vittorio Sgarbi, a former art critic, also said, “There is common sense in the Highway Act. Common sense dictates that the local police should have thanked this man.”
Italy is full of potholes all over the country, with about 10,000 potholes in Rome alone, but the administrative authorities say they are not actively involved in repair work due to lack of budget, manpower, and equipment.
“If they think I’m stupid, they’re wrong,” Trenta said. “I will accuse the authorities of negligence.” He appeared as an invited guest on a TV program and declared, “I will fight until the end.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.