Focus on the BIG picture.
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2025
Outside the box.
Italy Launches Compensation for Drivers Delayed on Toll Roads
Starting in summer two thousand twenty-six, drivers and tourists will be eligible for refunds for significant delays caused by planned roadworks.
Traffic jams will soon have monetary value.
Italy is preparing to change the rules on its toll roads by introducing a new compensation mechanism that will allow drivers, including tourists, to receive refunds for significant delays caused by infrastructure works.
Beginning in the summer of two thousand twenty-six, Italy will implement a new compensation system enabling drivers to claim refunds for delays resulting from roadworks on toll highways.
The reform, presented by the Italian Transport Regulation Authority, known as the Autorità di Regolazione dei Trasporti, is considered the first of its kind in Italy and sets a new benchmark at the international level.
Under the new rules, drivers will be entitled to partial or full refunds of toll fees if their travel time exceeds the expected duration due to congestion caused by planned infrastructure works.
At the core of the system is an automated comparison mechanism that measures the actual travel time against the pre-determined expected arrival time.
When the delay exceeds the defined threshold, a compensation claim may be submitted in accordance with the established criteria.
Eligibility for compensation is determined by the length of the journey.
For trips shorter than thirty kilometers, drivers will be entitled to a refund regardless of the duration of the delay.
For journeys between thirty and fifty kilometers, compensation will apply from a delay of ten minutes.
For trips longer than fifty kilometers, eligibility begins with a delay of fifteen minutes.
In cases where traffic congestion lasts more than three hours, drivers will be entitled to a full refund of the toll fee.
However, compensation will be granted only when the delay is caused by planned roadworks.
Emergency repairs, traffic accidents, extreme weather events, or rescue and emergency operations are explicitly excluded from the arrangement.
The system will be rolled out gradually starting on the first of June two thousand twenty-six and will initially apply to roads operated by a single concessionaire.
Toll roads managed by multiple concessionaires will be incorporated into the system starting on the first of December two thousand twenty-six.
Italy is preparing to change the rules on its toll roads by introducing a new compensation mechanism that will allow drivers, including tourists, to receive refunds for significant delays caused by infrastructure works.
Beginning in the summer of two thousand twenty-six, Italy will implement a new compensation system enabling drivers to claim refunds for delays resulting from roadworks on toll highways.
The reform, presented by the Italian Transport Regulation Authority, known as the Autorità di Regolazione dei Trasporti, is considered the first of its kind in Italy and sets a new benchmark at the international level.
Under the new rules, drivers will be entitled to partial or full refunds of toll fees if their travel time exceeds the expected duration due to congestion caused by planned infrastructure works.
At the core of the system is an automated comparison mechanism that measures the actual travel time against the pre-determined expected arrival time.
When the delay exceeds the defined threshold, a compensation claim may be submitted in accordance with the established criteria.
Eligibility for compensation is determined by the length of the journey.
For trips shorter than thirty kilometers, drivers will be entitled to a refund regardless of the duration of the delay.
For journeys between thirty and fifty kilometers, compensation will apply from a delay of ten minutes.
For trips longer than fifty kilometers, eligibility begins with a delay of fifteen minutes.
In cases where traffic congestion lasts more than three hours, drivers will be entitled to a full refund of the toll fee.
However, compensation will be granted only when the delay is caused by planned roadworks.
Emergency repairs, traffic accidents, extreme weather events, or rescue and emergency operations are explicitly excluded from the arrangement.
The system will be rolled out gradually starting on the first of June two thousand twenty-six and will initially apply to roads operated by a single concessionaire.
Toll roads managed by multiple concessionaires will be incorporated into the system starting on the first of December two thousand twenty-six.
