Italy antitrust watchdog probes Autostrade over dominant role in toll collections

UnipolSai Assicurazioni SpA

18/10/2022 18:02

MILAN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust watchdog has
opened an inquiry into Autostrade per l'Italia over whether the
motorway group had abused its dominant position in electronic
toll collections, thus hampering holding group Unipol's
 UNPI.MI  entry in that lucrative market.
    The probe follows a complaint by UnipolTech, a unit of
Unipol, which alleged that Autostrade, through its role as part
of the AISCAT association of Italian toll concession companies,
may have used its dominant position to make it more difficult
for new entrants to secure access to contracts.
    With help from the financial police, the antitrust watchdog
carried out inspections at the offices of Autostrade and AISCAT
on Tuesday, it said in a statement.
    Autostrade said in a statement it had always operated "with
the utmost transparency, in full compliance with the regulations
in force and without any preclusion to the entry of new
operators on the electronic toll collection market", adding it
was cooperating with the watchdog on the matter. 
    Under its latest business strategy, Unipol, which also
controls insurer UnipolSai  US.MI , has said it would invest in
technology to develop its 'mobility' business, targeting 2
million customers for its electronic toll collection device
called UnipolMove by 2024.
    Autostrade, formerly part of infrastructure group Atlantia
 ATL.MI , was sold in May to a consortium which includes Italian
state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and investment
funds Blackstone  BX.N  and Macquarie  MQG.AX .
 (Reporting by Agnieszka Flak, editing by Emelia
Sithole-Matarise)
 ((agnieszka.flak@thomsonreuters.com; +39 06 8030 7754;))