Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season...we did back in the states (since June). Tonight I recieved FIVE traffic violations each for euro 91.60 for "driving along lanes for public transport only"...the fines came from www.evo.nivi.it. The fines are for the month of April 2007 and I would pay them, but I drove to and from Santa Maria Novella Train Station and GE Nuovo Pignone 5 days a week for over a year and now I am getting 5 tickets for the month of April? What about between July '06 through March '07? Also, I was there through 15Jun07 so maybe I will get up to 20 more of these tickets! I am going to discuss with my company and see if they will cover the costs, but anyone else have any experiences with this? I have researched on-line and found that nivi is a collection agency basically and some have had a lot of success getting the fines reduced greatly, anyone?

I got two tickets from my trip to Florence also. I didn't realize at the time that I was driving in a restricted area. The tickets came months after the trip and I paid them. You may, in fact, get some more if you drove the same route every day.

Yep...what is strange is that I drove the same route for 9 months before April and am now getting tickets for April....at least I was only there for a month more after April. I will take this up with my company as I was there on company business. If I didn't have to go back to Florence for business, the tickets would already be shredded....

These tickets are valid and MUST be paid. The reason you have not received tickets for an earlier period is that certain traffic rules started in April as well as many did not have traffic cameras until then. There are notices that let you know that it is illegal to drive in the ZTL areas as well as in the transport only lanes.

The reason I say they must be paid is that if not paid you wil get another notice and then you will get a lovely surprise on your credit card (the one used to rent the car) with not only the ticket fee and the late charges but also astronomical administration fees. I know people who have been charges more than 200 euro for a 32 euro fine because they thought they could ignore it.

They are cracking down and are able to get paid for these fines. Visa/MC/Amex allow the charges and there is no way to fight them (you would have to have proof that you were not driving at the specific time)

I no longer drive to Florence due to the number of ZTL areas even though I know where they are I don't want to get frustrated with the traffic, try to find a shortcut and end up where I am not supposed to be. I take the bus!

I think it is so unfair that you only get told so long after the "offence". My husband got several tickets for the same offence - driving in bus lanes - when he was on his motorino. He didn't realise the fifty metres he often did was part of the bus lane. In fact, here the real-life vigili rarely stop motorini from driving in bus lanes - BUT the traffic cameras do give you a fine. Very unfortunate when you only find out after you've been doing it for months! I would be very interested to know the outcome if you contest it!

I plan on resolving this one way or another, but all the credit cards I used while in Florence have been cancelled and replaced....so how will they get their money then unless I agree to pay it? Never was I driving in a lane and say to myself..hmm, wonder why I am the only car surrounded by all these buses...never. I was always on streets that had cars and the way I was getting into the Santa Maria Novella parking garage was the only way to get to the entrance ramp....

Yes, have to admit, trip to Italy was great. However just like yourselves, I have received two tickets this week and get this. The first is at 09:17:00 and the second was at 09:33:00. Both for 92.45 Euros. Am hoping that will be all (

Some people in my office have also just gotten tickets from months ago from these videocameras. I think it's a really unfair process and also does not serve its purpose. It means the person is going months and months making the same mistake without knowing it, how is that safe?

This is a somewhat different ticket situation, but my husband just now got what appeared to be two attached tickets for parking in a drop-off area at Fiumicino back in November. We read all the fine print, but couldn't figure out why he had two, one for 51.98, the other for 55.23.

We gave the tickets to the policeman across the street to look at and he explained that the cheaper one is if we pay within 30 days and the other one is for if we pay after 30 days. It's very confusing, but I guess they were trying to save on postage and follow-up!!

I just received (two days ago) a nice ticket ($91.60) for entering a ZTL area in Florence. The funny thing is that I was on my way to my hotel (and directed by the hotel staff to go through.) Once I checked-in I gave the hotel concierge the license plate # of my rental so that they would notify the Traffic Police (to avoid the incoming ticket.)

I am trying to appeal the ticket and see if the Prefetto office will consider revoking the fine...

I just got two 92.45 euro tickets for driving in limited traffic areas in florence. I cancelled my credit card as soon as I got the $17 admin fee taken out by avis. They did not notify me first. I never drove any place there were not other cars with me. I looked on a map to look at the locations mentioned in the ticket and they are public roads heavily traveled by cars 24/7. I will *never* pay this. Every time I go to Italy the past 4 years I get ripped off a new way. A toll both malfunctioned last year and they gigged me $50 6 months later. I will explore the Western U.S.now. Much cheaper and no surprise rip offs 7 months after I return. The dollar is so down now anyway.
Too bad. I was enjoying Italy. Not now. I have pictures anyway.

Hi,

it's interesting and truly refreshing , watching people sacking Italians in previous posts when being "furbi" or unpolite, after having gone through a perfectly right fine, trying to come out of the situation relying in a cancelled credit card and in "shredding" tickets.

Chia

Good point Chia!

Just a quick comment. If you google the website emo.nivi.it, this page is 4th on the list so that is why we get new members who post their complaint and then disappear. My feeling, let 'em vent. As long as they do not break board rules it is fine. Hopefully with the many posts, comments, etc., people will be informed before they come over and drive. The fact that many come over without an inkling of how to drive in Italy is scary. Those who get caught should have known better and they will for the next time, errors happen, Those who lived here for a year, complained on and on about Italy and Italians and get caught with a moving violation, well, "just dessert" comes to mind

**** happens and sometimes we may miss the big huge sign because of all of the trafic around us. I am always worried we will get a ticket because I am normally so worried about the other cars I fear that I may miss the ZTL sign.

Sacking Italians? No. They have to live in Italy with the government I only have to deal with if I travel there.
A $50 fine would be more than enough to get my attention to find the ztl sign next time. $300 in fine is theft. Its like they think since we have so much money to travel there we'll just give away some of our free money every time we turn around? Other than the toll booth fiasco of last year along with this ztl ripoff - every time I go alitalia has lost my luggage or the luggage of my travel companion or thrown away my ticket by accident then made me pay $100 to replace it. Its like "you are here because you are rich so just hand over another $100 another $300 no problem!" Well I'm not rich. I could barely afford to save the money to make the trips I did in the past. I spent the money to make the trip because I love the sights and the people of Italy. I can no longer pay enough to go. Let the rich travel to Italy. Too bad. Really.

Sorry, federico, but I have no idea where you're coming from. I have been in and out of Italy for literally decades now and have never experienced the sort of thing you are complaining about. Occasional rip-off? Sure, that comes with the territory of being a lights-flashing-tourist anywhere. But I'd hardly attribute it to Italy alone: practically anywhere, including the US of A, will take a neophyte for a ride. Get over it.

Federico, you do know that not only tourists get hit with fines don't you? That is why it is so important that all who drive here learn what the signs mean. Not only to avoid fines but to be safe drivers.

If you have a probloem with the automatic gates not working on the autostrada, there is a button to push.

You can't blame Italy for the mistakes you made. And saying, well I didn't know really doesn't work.
By the way, HERE is a blog entry of a guy who fought the ticket and won. And here is a very good post from a response that a member on SlowTalk got from the car rental company http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/862600685/m/...061087004#1061087004 Oh and here is the information from a national paper a few weeks back

quote:

In 2007 the Florence municipality issued 858,506 fines.

About 420,000 fines were issued to Florentines; 330,000 to non-Florentine Italians; about 100,000 to non-Italians.

5119 appeals were filed with the Giudice di pace; the judge ruled on 2001 cases - in 1007 cases the fine was voided

You can cancel your cards if you like but they will catch up with you and they will double and double again if not paid.

The Italians get the fines too I know. Thats why I said I feel for them for dealing with their government. As for the button at the toll booth? The machine ate my credit card and the button got no response and there were no operators. After 20 minutes I started to open the back of the machine. An Italian gentleman kept pushing the button because it ate his pass card and when someone finally spoke with him on the speaker it did no good and his face showed total frustration. Once I started taking the machine apart both cards fired out and bounced off the guys car. I drove off but the fine or whatever came months later. $50 did not bother me. My friend from Rome got 8 parking tickets in NY a few years back but he knew what was going on when he parked. fwiw I hope he never pays>= ) Its the whole car rental that is the rip off. I carry about $18000 worth of camera equipment all day shooting. A black belt and a tripod for me. Brain damage for any would be ladro. Every time I go the rental car company gigs me in some way. This $300 worth of fines from florence is rediculous. As I said I would gladly pay $100 or so and not do it again. I am not a total dullard. This $300 is something I will likely pay since I love the country. The whole place is a work of art. The people of Italy are wonderful. I don't want to be afraid to go there when I return someday. Florence traffic was such a nightmare last september if I go there in tourist season again and I have a rental car I'll park far away and taxi in. I've driven into Florence 4 times before with no problem in tourist season in the past.
Thanks for the links about fighting it. I'll see if its something I have time to follow. Time isn't something I have these days. But I'm also down to selling lenses to pay bills. The $300 traffic fine will come from glass sold on ebay.

Fede,
non ce l'avevo con te. The "previous posts" I referred to, have been written a long ago. And sure they were so accurate on Italians'"rudeness" and lack of civic sense I didn't forget them and their author. Then, the same author, comes here and tries in any way to find information (even by me) to avoid paying fines through ripping tickets and cancelling Credit Cards or other "da Furbi" devices? Well I found it interesting, truly interesting. and a little amusing, too.
See Cristina posts about people living here for a year complaining about Italy and Italians, and then getting caught and trying to come out of a situation through tricks.
Chia

Chia,
I will never say Italians are rude! I find them quite the opposite. I do suspect the tourists who complain of rudeness are themselves the rude ones. I find that when I greet with a smile a smile is returned in Italy more than any other country I have visited.
I changed my credit card number when the original $17 came through because it was from avis in New York with no explanation. Later I find it is the admin. fee for the whopper tickets. I'll try pleading with the company handling the fine as mentioned in the link from Cristina.(Thankyou Cristina!) I'll likely have to end up paying it before the 20 day period and then hope for a partial refund. I looked at the ZTL sign in the link. I do remember seeing them. I thought "I guess that means your car is towed if you park on this street between 0700 and 2100" I just did not imagine it meant I could not even drive on the road. Now I know The amount of the fine is the shocker really. I guess I am lucky I didn't drive around in Florence for a week!!!
I've got to make good on it though.
I'll write the rental car company and ask them to warn their drivers with a hand out paper. That would have saved me the trouble and I suspect many others as well.

Oh how I enjoy checking in once and a while!!! My tickets were 'taken care of' so I have nothing to worry about, BUT...I would love for someone to tell me how they will 'get you' if you cancel your credit cards and change bank account numbers. If I never had to travel to Italy again (oh, one can only hope) I would cancel my card and change bank account #'s before paying anothing 'questionable ticket'. Ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao....

It is realy quite easy. You signed a contract when you rented the car. In the contract it states that you are liable for any traffic (moving or non) violations that you receive during your rental term. If you do not pay, the rental company has the legal right to file suit against you.

quote:

Originally posted by MCF34:
Oh how I enjoy checking in once and a while!!! My tickets were 'taken care of' so I have nothing to worry about...

Oh never mind, the moderators would probably have to delete my comments anyway.....