Corda Molle, Fai's anger: 'We have to pay. We are very disappointed'

The introduction of tolls on the Corda Molle, a vital highway connecting Montichiari to Ospitaletto, has sparked outrage among residents and local officials in Brescia. The Federazione Autotrasportatori Italiani (FAI) of Brescia has voiced strong disappointment, with provincial secretary Giuseppina Mussetola stating, "We do not agree, we want free access for everyone because we have to work, we don't use the Corda Molle for a day trip. We are very disappointed."

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We do not agree, we want free access for everyone because we have to work, we don't use the Corda Molle for a day trip. We are very disappointed.

Mayors from the affected municipalities express bitterness and a sense of betrayal, as the tolls were initially promised to be free for residents. Riccardo Canini, the mayor of Dello, sharply criticized the process, likening it to a wedding without the groom, questioning the whereabouts of the official who had pledged free access throughout his mandate and asking about the new Minister of Infrastructure, Salvini. The decision has left mayors from both center-right and center-left parties dismayed.

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It seems like a wedding session without the groom: there's the bride, the in-laws, the children are talking, but the groom is absent — the one who swore 'free access until the end of his mandate' — where did he go? Any news from Minister Salvini?

Marco Togni, the mayor of Montichiari, is taking a proactive stance by formally requesting traffic flow data and financial plans from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Transport Regulation Authority. He aims to verify the traffic estimates that led to the approval of a new financial plan by Autovia Padana in September 2025. Other mayors, like Mariuccia Raccagni of Passirano, are personally surprised by the turn of events. Despite the disappointment, there's a lingering hope for a positive resolution, with Renato Pasinetti, mayor of Travagliato, expressing confidence that the government will find the necessary resources or, at the very least, implement discounts for commuters and the transport sector to mitigate the financial burden on workers and businesses.

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I understand that in September 2025 the Traffic Regulation Authority approved a new Financial Economic Plan presented by Autovia Padana which made a new traffic estimate and therefore revenue — I want to understand if the traffic estimates made correspond to the actual traffic. To do this, now as mayor of Montichiari, I will make an official request for traffic data and PEFs submitted to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Transport Regulation Authority.