Moreno Morello, the correspondent of Striscia la Notizia with whom MilanoToday and uisjournal.com are collaborating, approaches the two local police officers stopped at the Piazzale dello Sport roundabout. But as soon as the officers notice it, they get into the service car, lock themselves in and leave. Seen from a few meters, their reaction is a complete escape from possible embarrassing questions. We simply wanted to ask who you should call to have your car freed from the chaos with which Atm manages one of the most important and potentially profitable car parks in Milan San Siro (the Striscia la Notizia service at the bottom of this article).

Emanuele Gruttad’auria, 50 years old, has in fact finished working at the Hippodrome for over an hour. Two genius drivers locked his car front and back with theirs (in the photo next to the title). And he is calling the local police command so he can go home. It’s Sunday 27 October 2024. The 4-4 match between Inter and Juve is about to begin inside the stadium. Poor Mr. Gruttad’auria and others like him will be stuck for hours. Two officers who came to check left with arms wide open. Without even fining (so the witnesses said) those who had imprisoned the unfortunate people (in the photo below, Emanuele Gruttad’auria interviewed by Moreno Morello).

Parking chaos: two questions for the mayor Giuseppe Sala and Atm

Here, given that the local police prefer to leave, we ask the mayor, Giuseppe Sala directly: why does the Municipality let ATM manage a source of income and a public service in such a tribal way? And, in the end, who do we need to call in order to be free to move in constitutional times? We know that the mayor does not like to respond to requests from the square, even if they come from Piazzale dello Sport. Let’s hope that at least the CEO and general manager of ATM, Arrigo Giana, will respond.

The Google map indicates this public car park as Piazzale dello Sport 4 Parking. Calling him that is an honor. It’s actually a huge flooded traffic island. We saw motorists going straight into the water, as if disembarking from a dinghy. It seems like an indirect advertisement so that one can go and pay 40 euros in the nearby private car parks, mostly granted on municipal areas, which according to the recent investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office paid fees and bribes at the curves of Inter-Milan, the business derby with the smell of ‘ndrangheta.

New era at the San Siro stadium: the blue stripes have been forgotten

A few days ago an efficient public relations office reported to the sports newspapers that after the investigations (and not the investigation by uisjournal.com with Striscia la Notizia) the wind had changed. No more illegal parking, no more chaos (but was the investigation needed to do what is normal?). Revolution which the Gazzetta dello Sport headlines as follows: “With Milan-Bruges, a new era begins: parking at 1.20 euros an hour. Previously it reached 40”. Blue stripes, it is written in the article, “the same ones that are detested in certain areas of the city but in this case have been blessed”.

An infiltrator among the illegal car parkers – the investigation by Fabrizio Gatti and Moreno Morello

We went to check. Nothing can be seen of the blessed blue stripes: they aren’t there yet. Something was only done in the nearby public car park. What Google calls Piazzale dello Sport 16 Parking: it has new signs and the entrance is controlled, at least until the start of the match, by two ATM custodians who regulate access. When it is full, they tie a roll of red and white ribbon from post to post and leave. This was the municipal area managed, until the investigation by uisjournal.com with Striscia la Notizia, by a group of illegal car parkers: their pure and tax-free takings were 300 thousand euros a year. Tonight, due to the lack of blue lines and perhaps the inexperience of the parking attendants, many fewer spaces were occupied than expected. Those who found space however paid 3.60 euros for three hours instead of 30.

The owner of the Parioli Garden restaurant was also blocked

On the other hand, let’s go and see what’s happening in the nearby car park, managed according to the coupons issued by Kiss&Fly Management. The company earned some chapters in the investigation by the Milan Prosecutor’s Office into the ultras and ‘Ndrangheta, so much so that one of its de facto representatives was actually placed under house arrest. Tonight the car park is packed and the valets are offering an extra service: “There’s no more space – they say – so you leave us the keys and telephone number, but it costs 70 euros”. That’s 30 euros more than the price displayed on the sign at the entrance.

It is not up to us to verify whether a tax receipt is issued for every customer who pays 70 euros. But in the meantime, this evening too, the car of Anna Leggeri, owner of the Parioli Garden restaurant at the Ippodromo, remained blocked by around twenty cars (in the photo above, while she argues with a valet). Same fate for the sister’s SUV. They pay 150 euros a month for each car. “I’d like to go home – she says angrily -. We worked until 4 this morning. And we started again at 9. We’re closed this evening. I’ve been stuck other times. If they don’t let me out immediately, I’ll call the police.” It’s almost seven in the evening. The entrance and exit paths were also filled (photo below). If a fire broke out, it would be a big job for the firefighters. But luckily that never happened.

The parking attendants, all regular with bibs, begin to move cars: “Ma’am, now put yours there and we’ll find a way to get you out.” It’s like a Rubik’s Cube, when you have to move all the colors to complete at least one face. Finally, within about twenty minutes, they open a passage. The head of the parking attendants, greeting Anna Leggeri, blames us and Striscia la Notizia for the mix-up. We didn’t understand what the connection would be.

The Municipality only charges one euro and 20, less than the cost of the metro

At this point another question is added for the Municipality and Atm. Given that billions of public money have been spent to bring two subway lines near the stadium, the Red and the Lilla, it wouldn’t be wrong to make those who fuel queues and smog at San Siro pay more to get there by car almost to field edge. So why waste an earning opportunity for the Municipality by asking them only one euro and twenty cents an hour? In fact, those arriving by subway pay a ticket which, return and return, costs 4 euros and 40 cents.

We’re leaving before the game ends. ATM custodians have been missing for a while. They closed the parking lot they guarded with red and white tape. Who knows how many years will still have to pass before progress brings two barriers and an automatic pay station for incoming and outgoing cars to Milan. We take a walk around the other public car park (photo above). Poor Emanuele Gruttad’auria has still been there, for three hours now, waiting for the promised tow truck. On the sidewalk in front, an entire family is patient. They had decided to spend the afternoon at the Hippodrome. But so they spend the evening on the traffic island: their car was also trapped. Moreno Morello greets them and takes advantage of the opportunity for the last interview. Welcome to San Siro, Milan, Italy.

The Striscia la Notizia reportage with Moreno Morello and Fabrizio Gatti

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