Italy acts to revoke motorway concession after bridge collapse
Italy's government on Friday launched a formal procedure aimed at revoking concessions held by Autostrade per l'Italia to operate toll highways after a bridge it managed collapsed this week, killing at least 38 people.
Some members of the governing coalition had earlier hinted that less drastic steps, such as a fine, may be considered, but the leaders of both ruling parties vowed a hard line and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte later said he had put words into action.
"Today the government...has formally sent to Autostrade per l'Italia the letter of complaint which launches the process for revoking the concession," Conte said in a statement.
The statement said the disaster was the fault of the company which "had the obligation to look after the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the motorway". It added that Autostrade now had 15 days to present its counter-arguments.
Matteo Salvini, deputy prime minister and head of the right-wing League party that governs with the 5-Star Movement, said the procedure for revoking the licence would take "weeks or months".
