The Chamber of Deputies has approved the bill ‘Interventions on road safety and delegation to the Government for the revision of the Highway Code’. The vote was 163 in favor, 107 against, with no abstentions. Those in favor included Fdi, Lega, and Forza Italia, while opposing votes came from Pd, M5s, Avs, and Azione. The legislation will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini expressed satisfaction with the approval of the new road safety legislation, emphasizing the need for increased controls, road safety, and stricter penalties for offenders such as license revocation for drunk or distracted driving. Salvini, who conducted a technical inspection of road construction in Avigliano, stressed the importance of saving lives through these measures.
Anthony Barbagallo, a member of the Pd party and head of the Transport commission, criticized the new Highway Code as a “code of slaughter,” highlighting its deficiencies and inconsistencies. He expressed disappointment that all 250 amendments proposed by the Pd were rejected and that Salvini never engaged with Parliament on the issue.
Lega member Elena Maccanti expressed strong support for Minister Salvini and the new Highway Code, citing measures such as penalties for drug and alcohol-related driving, increased road safety education, protection for motorcyclists, and regulations for pedestrians and cyclists. She praised Salvini’s dedication to enhancing road safety and emphasized Lega’s commitment to stand by him in this effort.
Francesca Ghirra, representing Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra in the Transport commission, voiced concerns over the new Highway Code, labeling it as promoting “unsafe roads”. She criticized the legislation for targeting cyclists and micro-mobility, centralizing power in the Ministry while disregarding the role of local municipalities. Ghirra warned that the code would compromise road safety and accused it of being a tool for Salvini’s propaganda.
Overall, the approval of the new road safety legislation by the Chamber of Deputies has sparked mixed reactions, with supporters praising the measures to enhance road safety and penalties for offenders, while critics, particularly from the opposition parties, raised concerns over the potential negative impact of the code on road safety and the centralization of power in the Ministry. The bill will now undergo further scrutiny in the Senate before becoming law.
