More restaurants in Italy are offering customers a ride home after dinner after stricter traffic laws and tougher penalties for drunk driving took effect. As restaurant owners admit, customers are afraid of the new regulations and they don’t want to lose customers.
Introduced in mid-December, high fines and the threat of arrest and loss of driver’s licenses have become one of the most frequently discussed topics in Italy. Restaurant owners quickly noticed a change in customer behavior and admitted that the number of customers had decreased. Moreover, as they point out, guests are ordering fewer and fewer wines with their meals, as strict regulations act as a deterrent.
With the resulting decrease in revenue, some restaurateurs offer complimentary transportation, first to the premises and then back home so guests don’t have to drive. We have begun to take the lead in this initiative.
Italians are avoiding going out because of the new law. Restaurateurs decided to take drastic action
His motive was presented by Michele Lo Iacono, a restaurant owner in Terni, Umbria. He began offering special services to customers over the weekend using two company cars. They pick up guests at their homes and then take them back. His proposal is called “Safe Dinner.”
See also: Italy is making changes. It’s a safety issue, but it will hurt tourists.
“We have 28 canceled reservations for New Year’s Eve, no one is ordering liqueurs anymore, and wine consumption is limited to one glass per person,” he told local media. – But we want to continue working, – he added. The company announced that it would rent out microbuses if there was enough demand from customers.
Changes in Italian Law. Pharmacies do not have breathalyzers
New regulations have made both disposable and reusable breathalyzers extremely popular. Demand increased so quickly that many pharmacies around the country began to run out of them. RAI TV reported that the supplier was unable to fulfill all orders.
See also: Italy. Restaurateur offers 300 euros to find waiter
The Federation of Pharmacy Employers noted that there are no new companies offering these products and that more people are looking for them online. Drivers are mainly asking for single-use breathalyzer tests, which cost between 5 and 7 euros, en masse. Reusable devices cost tens of euros, and although interest in them is growing, they can be difficult to purchase.
Italy’s new road code. Citizens are afraid of high fines
Italy’s new traffic laws have increased fines for drunk driving several times.
If your blood alcohol level is between 0.5 and 0.8 per mil, the fine will be €2,170 and your driving license will be suspended for 3 to 6 months. 0.8 to 1.5 per mille will result in a fine of €3,200, imprisonment for up to 6 months, and cancellation of driving license for 6 to 12 months.
Exceeding 1.5 per mille can result in a fine of up to 6,000 euros, arrest for 6 months to 1 year, and disqualification from driving for 1 to 2 years.
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