Too many fines on Sacro Monte; the traders protest before the police

There was a large protest against the severity of the local police of Sacro Monte. The traders have decided to hold a protest to demand an amnesty and less severity. Every Sunday, the hamlet is besieged by cars. The shortage of parking spaces forces trippers to park their cars wherever they can, and the traffic wardens punish all violations. On Easter Monday, the number of tickets skyrocketed and, this time, the traders have decided to complain, by protesting in front of the local police station. This unusual occurrence is taking place in Via Sempione, on Wednesday, 3 April, at 9 o’clock. The protest has been called by some of the hamlet’s traders, especially the owners of the restaurant and hotel “Al Borducan”, who complain about the fines received by their employees and their customers. “If it goes on like this, nobody will come here any more.”

AN UNSOLVED PROBLEM

Today, Sacro Monte can be reached by car, but the number of parking spaces at the top is very limited. The bus is not used enough, but in any case, it would not be able to meet all the demand. Moreover, the cable car does not work regularly during the year, and it only reopened at the end of March, for the weekends. All the same, the situation of the cable car is well-known; it is in the red, and the losses can only be kept under control by restricting its use.

TEN YEARS WITH THE CABLE CAR (THE FIGURES)

The town council is about to build a car park at the first chapel, but according to the traders, this will not be enough. This is why they are asking the council to find a solution that is less repressive for the tourists. The consequences of this impasse are known to everybody. On 3 March, the first sunny Sunday (when the cable car was still closed), there was an incredible traffic jam, in which the Minister of Justice, Paola Severino, also got stuck.