After Filling a "30cm Road Hole," Fined 960,000 Won... Italy's Absurd Administration

Italian Residents Repair 30cm Pothole Themselves
Local Authorities Claim "Highway Regulation Violation"
Citizens Say "Fines and Repair Orders Unfair... Will Fight"

Local authorities in Italy have issued a fine and an order to restore the original condition to a resident who repaired a "pothole," known as a landmine on the road, by himself.

On the 15th (local time), Claudio Trenta (72), who lives in the small town of Varlasina in Lombardy, northern Italy, reportedly received an absurd fine notice from local authorities on the 10th, according to local media including the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.

On the 26th of last month, Mr. Trenta repaired a pothole with a diameter of 30cm at a crosswalk in Varlasina. Although he had reported the pothole to the local authorities earlier, no action was taken even after three months, so he spent his own money to fill it himself.

However, what he received in return was not a reward but a fine. The local authorities sent him a fine notice of 622 euros (about 960,000 KRW) for violating highway regulations. If the payment is delayed for more than five days, the fine increases to 882 euros (about 1,280,000 KRW).

Claudio Trenta filling a pothole on a crosswalk.
[Photo by Claudio Trenta SNS·Yonhap News]

In addition, Mr. Trenta was ordered to restore the pothole to its original condition.

In an interview with the media, he expressed his refusal to pay the fine or restore the road, saying, "If they think I am a fool, they are wrong," and added, "They provoked me, and I will accuse the local authorities of negligence."

After posting his story on Facebook, this incident attracted attention across Italy.

In Italy, there are reportedly about 10,000 potholes in Rome alone, and roads nationwide are riddled with potholes, but the administrative authorities have not carried out repair work, citing reasons such as budget, manpower, and equipment shortages.

In this situation, the prevailing public opinion is that it is unreasonable to impose a fine on a resident who took on the work that the state should have done, rather than rewarding him.

Italian netizens left comments such as, "I sent a protest email to the Varlasina authorities today," "Rather, the Varlasina authorities should compensate this resident who spent his own money to fill the potholes," and "There are potholes all over Italy, and if citizens do not step up, the roads seem like they will collapse."

Vittorio Sgarbi, Deputy Minister of Culture, also shared the public opinion. He stated, "There is common sense in the highway law," and "Common sense dictates that the local police should have expressed gratitude to this man."

Mr. Trenta appeared as a guest on a national broadcast program and raised his voice, saying he would fight the local authorities to the end.

He said, "This fine is unjust, so I will fight to cancel it to the end," and questioned, "Why am I the only one fined when others know about the problem but do nothing?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.