Leaving Italy without paying a fine for a bus fare violation
I'm in Florence on vacation with my parents and we've run into some trouble with the city buses. We took an ATAF bus and were confused on how the system worked. Apparently you stamp the ticket when you get on and it's good for 90 minutes, which was fine since we just got to our destination and back on another bus within an hour.
However, we thought we were supposed to stamp the ticket again when we got on the second bus, so when the inspector looked at our tickets he couldn't make out the first stamp. He claimed that the first stamp was at 18:34 when really it was 19:34. At 18:34 we were on a shuttle and have the receipt to prove it, but he wouldn't listen, just said to go to the ticket office and talk to them.
When we got there no one spoke English and refused to even talk to my uncle in Milan on the phone who could translate. Now I'm so fed up and willing to just pay the fine and be done with it, but the problem is the inspector forgot to give me a copy of my penalty ticket, so I can't even pay for myself. The guys at the ticket office are very unhelpful and just keep telling me to pay. I can't even if I want to!
My flight home is in two days and I'm worried they won't let me leave the country if I don't get this resolved.
Best Answer
There is no online database lookup when you leave Italy. At the most they will check your passport to make sure it is valid, and stamp it if necessary. Theoretically this could be done if you use the passport e-gates if they're at the airport you're using and you're eligble to use them. However, there is absolutely zero chance that Italian bureaucracy would ever be efficient enough to be able to do this. You have no need to worry.
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How much is the bus fine in Italy?
50E is the current going rate for fines on public transports in most of Italy, and it is not up to the offender to decide the fine amount. >has anyone not paid the fine and then gone back to Italy at a later stage?Do you have to pay for buses in Italy?
On city buses, there are several machines where you can pay for your ticket. Some regional bus companies may also let you buy your ticket in cash while getting on the bus. There is a machine that takes cash (remember the currency is the euro in Italy), but note that these machines don't give change.How do I pay a bus fine in Rome?
Payment can be made in one of the following ways:- online using the fine payment portals PagoMulte and PagoPA;
- with Pay & Go parking meters: using credit or prepaid cards enabled for Fastpay service. ...
- in all post offices of Poste Italiane, by deposit into post account nr.
Family slapped with $471 ticket while traveling in Italy. Here's what they want you to know.
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Answer 2
According to the ataf website (which I can transalte for you in the part concerning administrative fines), you have 15 days to pay the fine before getting a written notification. After the notification, you will have to pay the full fine (rather than a reduced one) within the next 60 days. After that term, an additional procedure (possibly via court) will apply. So there is no reason to keep you in Italy for not paying a fine; it is up to them to get in touch with you.
If you have the chance to pass by Santa Maria Novella station, you will find the Ataf infopoint at gate 8 & 9 (Mon-Sat 7-20) or you can call the toll free number 800 424500 (or your uncle can).
Answer 3
There is no chance that you will have any issue with this. However, if the fine is very small (less than 50E), pay it. I went into trouble once on the way to Pisa from Florence. Nobody told us to stamp the ticket, and the conductor got us. He asked us to pay a fine of 25E and stamped all three.
Answer 4
I'm Italian
Never worry while in Italy or travelling in or out. Italy is on its way from a Middle Ages country where everything is allowed to a more modern country where everybody will respect the law.
Just have fun every moment: no one will deprive you of the beauty of the country and disturb your stay. A minor infraction is nothing.
Answer 5
I don't know about the laws in Italy. In Britain, here's what can happen: You are caught on the train without a valid ticket, and your address is recorded. You get a letter to pay a small amount quickly, say £20, or a larger amount, say £40 if it takes longer. You don't pay. You get a letter advising you that you really should pay £80. A month later you get a letter that you should really, really, pay £120 or you will be taken to court. Then you get a letter to please come to the court. Whether you go or not, you may then be ordered by the court to pay £600. It happens to people.
If you are an EU citizen, then I would definitely pay up. If you are not an EU citizen, and ever want to come back to Europe, then I would pay up.
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