Since May 1st, the toll payment system on the A3 Naples-Salerno motorway has undergone a significant change which is causing inconvenience among motorists. The company SPN Salerno Pompei Napoli, which manages the motorway, has decided to no longer accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Cash payments remain valid, with ATMs participating in the Fastpay, American Express and Telepass circuits. This decision, communicated via the dealership’s official website and notices at toll booths, has raised numerous criticisms and practical problems for users. Il Mattino writes it today on newsstands
The situation risks worsening with the arrival of summer, a period in which the motorway sees a significant increase in tourist traffic. The change could be particularly problematic for foreign tourists, who often prefer to use international credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard for their transactions. Failure to accept these cards could cause inconvenience to those visiting tourist attractions in the region, such as the archaeological excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii, the Sorrento and Amalfi Coasts, and other destinations in the south of Salerno.
This change in the payment system comes at an already critical moment for users of the A3 motorway, who in January saw a toll increase of 20 cents, excluding those using Telepass. Furthermore, from next July 1st, the cost of the basic monthly Telepass subscription will increase by 113%, going from 1.83 to 3.90 euros per month.
