The case of Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, brother-in-law of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is at the forefront; Lollobrigida got off the long-delayed Frecciarossa train at Ciampino, as “Il Fatto Quotidiano” discovered. An extraordinary one-stop advantage. According to Lollobrigida, it was a stop “where anyone could get off” and “not just for me, as someone reported”. But is it really like that?
Lollobrigida’s thesis: “I acted legally”
The Minister of Agriculture reconstructs the facts: “I was only able to learn that the train I was on to arrive was 100 minutes late after departure and made several long stops after a few kilometers. I asked if it was possible to get off in an hour. Besides them, there are other passengers, but in case there are no crossings to cross the rails doors cannot be opened”.
According to the minister, at the Ciampino stop “according to the announcement made on the train, everyone could get off, not just me as someone had announced”. “This was an extraordinary stop, which Trenitalia usually makes in extraordinary situations, and which was announced and made available to all passengers,” he added. After landing in Lollobrigida, he continued his journey in the company car to Caivano, where he was waiting for the opening of the new city park.
Today, on the sidelines of the Coldiretti Forum, the minister announced that he has no intention of resigning. “I have never run away from conflict. I believe that in representing the State in Caivano, I acted not only in accordance with the law and rule, but in the interests of the state. Getting off the train was not to go on vacation or visit my family, but to go and do my job.”
Anyone want an intermediate stop?
According to a statement by Ferrovie dello Stato, the public company that controls Trenitalia, anyone can request an emergency stop when the delay exceeds 60 minutes, but this authority is actually granted only in the presence of force majeure. A thesis that has raised some skepticism and some irony on social media.
FS states that in “general transport conditions” in accordance with European legislation, “if the arrival at the final destination is expected to be delayed by more than 60 minutes, the journey is no longer useful “the passenger has the right to return to the point of departure or to another intermediate location of his own choice”. Intermediate and get off at an unscheduled stop We read that the request is “evaluated on a case-by-case basis and taking into account the possible effects on traffic and passengers” when “a request is received based on specific needs, e.g. emergency, public order, etc.”
Was this the case with Lollobrigida? It doesn’t seem like it, and in any case, it wasn’t mentioned in the press release. According to the LaPresse agency, FS sources admitted that the extraordinary stop was requested “for institutional reasons”, but the official note published by the company in the afternoon does not mention the requests of the minister or his entourage. The press release instead limits itself to reporting that the Ciampino stop was requested by the Trenitalia operations room, but without specifying why, and in any case that “in the last six months, 207 cases have occurred on Frecce services.” of this kind.
Another thing that needs to be clarified is whether anyone can ask to get off at a private stop, as the company claims. In Trenitalia’s “general conditions of transport” reference is made to the possibility, in case of delay, to “start” or continue the journey at the passenger’s location “using alternative means” and return to the starting point or another intermediate location. choice. However, it seems to be an opportunity offered to passengers who prefer alternative trains in case of long delays.
FS’s thesis actually seemed distant to many people. “When there is a ‘two-hour’ delay and there is no attendant on the train, Trenitalia does not provide extraordinary stops,” writes Financial Times journalist Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli on I wonder: Lollobrigida says everyone can want an extraordinary train stop. I wonder who Lollobrigida turned to, the train conductor or Trenitalia? listeners the number of Trenitalia’s CEO or a train conductor”.
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Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
