Malcesine Mothers Protest Unsafe Underpass Conditions at Navene Vecchia
The condition of the intersection and the mothers’ protests
Their anger is sparked by the state of the intersection at via Navene Vecchia, where the new underpass has been constructed. The underground crossing, recently built, lacks any facilities to allow wheelchair users or people with disabilities to pass through, nor is there a ramp.
Therefore, it’s a service not usable by those who should be protected the most: mothers with children and disabled individuals, who are forced to cross the street on the surface. No sidewalk space has been left next to the road, and there is no traffic light or pedestrian crosswalk.
Mothers wishing to cross with their strollers are therefore forced to blindly step into the street, exposing themselves to traffic lanes. After several requests to Mayor Lombardi failed to produce any results, the mothers of Malcesine united and sent a letter, signed by around 60 of them (those living near the intersection), urgently requesting an intervention at the crossing.
The mothers’ request and the authorities’ responses
“The sidewalk, traffic light, and crosswalks have been removed,” the letter states, addressed to Mayor Giuseppe Lombardi and Public Works Councilor Chincarini Valente, “without creating an alternative for those like me who have to cross the street daily with children in strollers or for disabled people who cannot use the stairs of the underpass.”
“I believe it is everyone’s right to cross the statal road,” the letter concludes, “without risking their safety. I ask you not to wait for something serious to happen and to intervene as soon as possible.” The initiative was promoted by Antonella Barzoi, a mother of two children, who, tired of promises made to her and after visiting the Municipality multiple times to lodge complaints, decided to take action differently.
The sidewalk issues and the response of the responsible official
The issue of the sidewalk, which has evidently been removed due to space problems, has been a source of resentment for Malcesine residents for some time, but also a real problem for people like Roberto Benamati, owner of a clothing shop near the underpass, who is forced to allow pedestrians and tourists to pass through his property—otherwise, they would have to walk in the traffic.
And to think that Luigino Bresaola, the head of the police, supervised the construction of the underpass, thus being someone who should know about traffic management.
Katia Toninelli