Cautionary tale for disabled drivers

[Charles Phillips]

I just received, from a friend here in Itay who offers accommodation, a raft of 'avvisi' forwarded by a hire car company (originally sent to one of her renters, since the renter didn't have a clue as to what these documents were about).
The driver of the hire car had managed to get the number plate of the car photographed three times in one town - on the same day, in fact within the same one hour period - in a zona ZTL. The next day he made the same mistake in a different town. So: total obligation for these contraventions (if paid at the reduced rate) about €350.
The hire car company had paid these fines.
Now, you might say - fair enough, he disobeyed the rules - deserves the fines.

His mistake (wrong assumption) was that because he was displaying a valid Disabled card - with good reason - he would be granted the usual concessions for disabled people. Had the hire car company not paid the fines he could have argued his case (and almost certainly won) - but he didn't get the chance.

Anyway, the moral of this story is to a:) warn all your visitors about zona traffico limitato restrictions - (it isn't always easy to understand these from the signage): and b:) warn any genuine disabled visitors that - unless they make a phone call to the Polizia Municipale ahead of their journey, and alert them to the targa of the hire car which is displaying a Disabled pass, in which case the Police are usually completely understanding and will tell the cameras to ignore that number plate - they will get fined. I'd add a c:) (so long as it didn't make the hire car company run a mile and not give you the car), tell the hire car company that you have a disabled sticker, and that they shouldn't pay any fines wthout reference to the hirer.

You will deduce that this is only a problem with automated camera based systems, which do not photograph the whole car - if a hire car is illegally parked with a valid Disabled sticker the traffic wardens won't give it a ticket. The ZTL cameras are also capable of mistakenly trapping Italian privately registered cars which are showing a Disabled sticker not issued in Italy. If you happen to be driving one of these you should nip into the local police and demonstrate why they shouldn't fine that car.

[HelenMW]

Another thing to watch out for is disabled spaces which have a permit number on them as these are for a specific person- make sure you only use the ones that are blank under the wheelchair picture

[Noble]

It is worth mentioning that in the historic centre of Perugia, where traffic is only allowed at designated times, if you are disabled you cannot simply ring up and make an arrangement with the police or any one at all. The whole process is pure torture. You have to go to a special office to see a special man, who isn't helpful and doesn't necessarily open up the office when stated. The permission to enter the centro storico has to be made quite some time in advance and afterwards the person doing it needs a stiff drink!!!

[Angie and Robert]

I tried to do this , but it sent my snailband into a flurry, should we be worried?
A