Not recommending to go with car to Mantova ... you can be expected to get number of tickets after few month for " entering zone without permit " for 80-100 euro each ... more then that second ticket may be just few minutes from first one.
There is no road signs warning about that , so you just come with Italian rental car to hotel in the city center and after few month getting as many tickets as someone decided.
Is there any way to complain about such attitude ?
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
They must have installed these signs after you drove there:
In this case allthe ZTL fines in Mantua are illegal and you can appeal by registered mail to a Judge (or to the Prefect, as you prefer)
Posted by
Reno, Nevada
1025 posts
Here is a link to the ZTL (Traffic Restricted Areas) in Mantua:
https://www.accessibilitacentristorici.it/ztl/Lombardy/mantua/mantova.html
I am sure you were not aware of the ZTL limits before you traveled there by automobile, but you were responsible for avoiding these areas while in the city. There are a number of threads on this Forum relating to being ticketed in these areas and unfair or not, you need to know that you weren't singled out, but rather were photographed while in a ZTL. Nothing personal. Next time you will be aware of the existence of ZTLs, not only in Mantua, but in many other Italian cities as well.
You can probably complain, but I cannot imagine what good it will do, and as I understand it, appeals of these tickets are time limited, so you had better check on whether you have the right to appeal.
Posted by
Green Bay
20238 posts
You are about the 10,000th person to complain about Italian ZTL's on this forum. It is why you come the forum BEFORE you go to Italy and rent a car. Then you would have known all about it.
Posted by
Washington DC
27207 posts
ZTLs are common in Italy. If you were not aware of the driving restrictions (your guide book should have warned you) and you only get tickets from Mantova, you might consider yourself lucky. Every time one of the cameras takes your picture, it's a ticket. Plus usually an administrative fee from your car-rental firm.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32893 posts
They must have installed these signs after you drove there
so the trip must have been some time ago. They were installed in 2010 which is around 8 years ago....
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7333 posts
Your second ticket was probably when you went around the block and re-entered the limited traffic zone. The “attitude” is just a country enforcing their laws.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2121 posts
Yet another new member who joins just to complain about ZTLs.
There are several of us who did our homework before renting a car in Italy. We knew what a ZTL sign looks like and that it applies to anyone who does not have a specific permit for the zone. While we're at it, we also studied and understood the speed limit restrictions and the use of automatic speed check and recording devices.
Those of us who did our homework had absolutely no problems driving in Italy and did not receive any tickets once we returned home.
It seems that you didn't prepare and didn't observe the well marked ZTLs. Any "attitude" rests with you, not the Italian authorities.
Posted by
Chicago
1949 posts
Not that the Italians don't have enough issues with their government & economy, but sure would be nice for them to post some type of country-wide interactive, zoomable online map with locations of ZTL's so drivers can plan out a ZTL-free trip in advance. Does something like exist on a national basis, or is that left up to the province or town, or is it silly to even think that they'd even consider providing something like that?
A lot of the problem lies in the incorrect assumption that only the larger towns and cities have them, when ZTL's could be virtually anywhere.
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
There is an app for that.
Imho a government paid site would be as silly as a site listing all one way streets, all no parking roads and all those blocks close to hospitals where honking is forbidden. Not silly: useless compared to signs.
At this point, I'd wonder why my fellow countrymen drive abroad without reading a guide or making a 10 minutes google search, then ignore signs they don't know and finally complain about scams; but maybe it's just me.
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2121 posts
A lot of the problem lies in the incorrect assumption that only the larger towns and cities have them, when ZTL's could be virtually anywhere.
That's true. Almost all small hill towns have a ZTL. It's safe to assume that if the town is walled, anything in the wall is ZTL.
We visited Radda, Volterra , Castellina and San Gimignano. In every one, we found every entrance to the ZTL well marked with large signs. We also stayed just outside Greve. It is not walled and didn't have a ZTL.
Street view in Google Maps shows ZTL in just about any town you want to check. You can also Google ZTL .
Thank goodness for ZTLs. It really makes exploring cities and towns much more pleasant.