M5S press for ASPI highway concessions to be revoked

(ANSA) - Rome, November 28 - Foreign Minister and 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio on Thursday renewed his call for highways company Autostrade per L'Italia (ASPI) to be stripped of its concessions. ASPI has been accused of failing to take the necessary action to prevent last year's Morandi-bridge collapse in Genoa in which 43 people died.
    According to recent newspaper reports, ASPI allegedly knew as early as 2014 that the Morandi Bridge was not safe and should have been shored up or demolished.
    In September nine people were arrested on suspicion of soft-pedalling reports on bridge and viaduct safety.
    "The highway concessions are set to be revoked," Di Maio told Radio Anch'io. "It is necessary to take the concession away from these people as soon as possible after they took our money for tolls without maintaining the structures".
    M5S co-founder and guarantor, stand-up comedian Beppe Grillo, tweeted #Autostrade Story is the story of the motorway concession obtained by the #Benetton (whose Atlantia group controls ASPI) more than 20 years ago. A concession on favourable terms without equal. Share this information as much as you can. It's time to change".
    Di Maio responded by saying "we won't take a step backwards on the revocation of the concession to Autostrade.
    "The whole 5-Star Movement, from me to Beppe Grillo to every single MP and activist, is determined in this battle.
    "Forty-three people died because a bridge collapsed under them from one minute to the next.
    "Their families are still grieving.
    "They're asking for justice. We will give it to them.
    Whatever the cost".
    Premier Giuseppe Conte said he "understood" Griloo and Di Maio's views and vowed that the government would not "let anyone off".