No more braking at the toll booth, queuing to choose the right lane or searching for a ticket at the last minute. Highway tolls are changing face in Italy too. In place of barriers and booths, cameras and sensors are available that can recognize the vehicle while it's still moving and automatically calculate how much it has to pay.
It is the Free flow, the barrier-free toll collection system already in use in France, Spain, and Portugal and now available on some Italian routes. This solution is designed to streamline traffic, but it also introduces an important innovation for those who don't use Telepass or other electronic devices: Payment no longer takes place at the toll booth and must be made later, within the established deadlinesAnd forgetting about it can be costly.
How toll-free Free Flow works
The system is based on portals installed above the roadway and equipped with cameras and sensors which record the passage of vehicles without interrupting their progress. Therefore, there is no need to collect a ticket or stop to pay at the exit. For those who use them Telepass, UnipolMove or other enabled electronic toll collection systems, it changes little. The device is recognized upon switching and the amount is automatically charged according to the terms and conditions of the subscribed service.
The process is different for those traveling without a device. In this case, the cameras read the license plate, recognize the vehicle type, and allow the operator to reconstruct the distance traveled and calculate the toll due.
The elimination of barriers aims to make traffic flow more smoothly, reducing waiting at toll booths, queues, and the constant stopping and starting that characterize especially during periods of heaviest traffic.
Where it is already active in Italy
Free Flow is already of interest approximately 200 kilometers of the Italian motorway network, concentrated mainly in the North of the country. A36 Pedemontana Lombarda represents the most consolidated case and was the first major Italian experience of barrier-free tolling. The system also involves the A33 Asti-Cuneo, the A59 Como Ring Road, the A60 Varese Ring Road and the connection Ospitaletto-Montichiari. On the A33 Asti-Cuneo, in particular, the Free Flow portals have been active since 1 March and are intended for the collection of tolls starting from 1 September 2026 °. In this case too, the cost is determined based on the stretch of motorway actually travelled.
The model, already widespread in other European countries, could gradually find greater acceptance on the Italian network, replacing the traditional toll booth system on the affected routes.
Payment within 15 days, what happens if you forget?
The real difference concerns those who do not have an electronic toll collection device. Passage under the portal is recorded, but the toll must be paid later through the channels made available by the concessionaire, such as websites, official applications or authorised counters. The deadline indicated on the routes concerned is generally 15 natural and consecutive days from transitIt is therefore essential for drivers to remember to check their journeys and pay the due amount.
Once the deadline has passed, the concessionaire may send a payment reminder, adding to the toll the costs of notification, collection, and debt recovery. If the situation is not subsequently regularized, the case may be forwarded to the Highway Police.
Failure to pay may therefore fall within the violations set forth in Article 176 of the Highway Code. The administrative penalty indicated by the sources must be by 87 344 in euros, With the two points deducted from the driving licence, in addition to the obligation to pay the original toll and any additional charges incurred.
Beware of fake messages about unpaid tolls
The digitalization of payments also brings with it another risk. Highway operators have reported phishing attempts through SMS, emails, and WhatsApp messages that simulate communications regarding unpaid tolls. The requests may appear authentic because they use logos, colors, and graphics associated with highway companies and invite the user to click on a link to quickly pay the amount due. Behind the link, however, may hide pages designed to steal personal data, banking credentials, or payment card information.
Pedemontana Lombarda warned that "these messages may appear very credible" and urged users not to use suspicious links and to verify any payment requests directly through official channels.
Il Free Flow therefore eliminates the toll booth, but not the obligation to payFor those without an automatic system, the most important thing is the timing of the toll payment: no longer during the journey, but later. This convenience, however, requires greater attention to deadlines and the communications received.
