Italian authorities are stepping up efforts to dismantle roadblocks set up by protesting truck drivers in southern Italy, warning that those responsible could face criminal charges and even prison sentences.
The protests, fuelled by anger over rising diesel prices and mounting transport costs, have prompted police intervention and raised concerns about disruptions to supply chains.
Business Minister Adolfo Urso said on Wednesday that authorities were identifying those involved in the blockades and preparing to remove them.
"Preventing only lorries from passing while allowing cars through still amounts to a roadblock, with criminal consequences, including possible prison sentences," Urso told parliament.
According to government figures, police have identified 1,339 people, reported 71 to the authorities and issued 242 administrative fines.
The Interior Ministry has also ordered police escorts for trucks to keep goods moving, including 500 vehicles in the southern region of Campania alone.
Fuel costs at the heart of the dispute
The unrest comes amid growing pressure on the Italian government to tackle rising fuel prices, which have hit transport companies, farmers and fishing businesses particularly hard.
Lawmakers are discussing a proposal to introduce a flexible cap on petrol and diesel prices, including fuel supplied directly to commercial operators outside traditional filling stations.
The measure is being considered as part of a broader fuel decree that has already passed the Senate and is now before the lower house of parliament.
The government says it is working to ease the financial burden on the transport sector, with Urso announcing plans to release more than €1 billion in support.
That includes €434.8 million already allocated to compensate hauliers for higher diesel costs and approximately €590 million to help companies modernise their vehicle fleets.
But despite the promised financial relief, protests continue in parts of southern Italy, leaving the government facing the twin challenge of containing fuel costs and preventing further disruption to the movement of goods.
Supermarket shelves empty as truckers' protests disrupt food supplies
The truck drivers' protests are beginning to take a toll on everyday life in southern Italy, with supermarket shelves running empty, fresh produce going to waste and concerns growing over disruptions to essential services.
Roadblocks have prevented deliveries from reaching shops and distribution centres, leaving perishable goods, including fruit and milk, stranded at production sites.
"We need to unblock Italy so that our entrepreneurs are able to sell their goods and our citizens are able to buy them," Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said on Wednesday.
He also questioned the motives of some protest organisers, suggesting that the backgrounds of certain individuals deserved closer scrutiny.
Southern Italian cities warn of growing crisis
The mayors of Naples and Bari have urged the government to intervene urgently, warning that continued disruption could bring their cities to a standstill.
"The situation in the cities of southern Italy remains extremely critical and risks worsening further as the hours pass," Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi and Bari Mayor Vito Leccese said in a joint statement.
They warned that food deliveries were failing to reach distribution centres, leaving supermarket shelves increasingly empty.
Waste collection and public transport services are also being affected, raising fears of rubbish piling up in the streets.
The mayors called on Transport Minister Matteo Salvini to bring forward talks scheduled for the 27th, arguing that cities could not afford to wait.
Airports run out of fuel as motorway blockades spread
The disruption has extended beyond roads and supermarkets, with two airports in southern Italy reporting shortages of aviation fuel.
Crotone and Reggio Calabria airports, both in the Calabria region, have been left without fuel for aircraft, according to official aviation notices.
Airlines and flight crews have been advised to arrange refuelling at other airports to ensure they can complete their journeys. Operations at Lamezia Terme airport remain unaffected.
Meanwhile, fresh roadblocks in the Campania region have caused major traffic disruption, including temporary closures on sections of the A1 Milan-Naples and A30 Caserta-Salerno motorways.
Queues stretching several kilometres formed as demonstrators blocked key junctions, disrupting one of southern Italy's main transport corridors.
Transport industry calls for blockades to end
Italy's main road haulage associations have joined calls for the government to clear the roadblocks, warning that the protests are now damaging the very industry they were intended to defend.
Following talks with Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, industry representatives urged Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to intervene.
They argued that continued disruption was no longer justified after the government agreed to provide financial support to transport companies struggling with rising fuel costs.
Salvini said more than €1 billion had been made available to the sector, including approximately €480 million to offset higher fuel prices and more than €500 million to support fleet modernisation.
More than 32,000 applications for fuel-related financial assistance have already been submitted.
The government says payments are beginning, but with blockades continuing and essential supplies under pressure, authorities face growing demands to restore normal transport operations across southern Italy.