The Italian transport associations are once again raising concerns about long queues and service disruptions related to freight transport to and from the Port of La Spezia. They urge the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea to devise a new organizational model to improve the efficiency of the port system, which currently imposes additional monthly costs of approximately ten million euros on road transport companies. This is the common stance expressed in November 2024 by Anita, Assotir, Fita Cna, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai, and TrasportoUnito.
The six associations, along with trucking companies operating at the Ligurian port, gathered on the afternoon of November 18 to discuss the introduction of the Congestion Fee, a surcharge intended to compensate for the increased costs of congestion. During the meeting, they confirmed the surcharge's application. They also highlighted that, while the meeting was underway, hundreds of trucks were once again stuck in long queues on the access road connecting the highway to the port, waiting to enter a terminal where only one ship was docked. On that day, wait times of up to four hours resulted in additional costs estimated between 400,000 and 500,000 euros.
During the latest meeting held at the Port System Authority, attended by Commissioner Federica Montaresi, the truckers reiterated that the issue of industrial vehicle congestion is exacerbated by unscheduled ship arrivals and traffic surges at port entrances. This situation leads to significant additional costs for trucking companies. Therefore, an urgent intervention is needed to improve the overall organization of the port system, with the primary goal of ensuring a smooth flow of freight traffic.
Port System Authority officials have stated that all involved stakeholders will soon be convened to work together towards a solution. Among the priorities is the elimination of operational bottlenecks affecting trucks, which lead to increased costs for businesses. In this context, efforts will continue to identify measures to enhance the efficiency of truck flows and to establish a Program Agreement that regulates the traceability of waiting times for loading and unloading, as well as a compensation system for truck wait times.
