Penalties in Florence bus

acfontoura

New member
Hello!! I have seen some posts about the inspection in the Ataf bus and I would like to consult people who live in Florence about an incident I was part of. I was in line D to Maria Novella station with a friend and two guys from the inspection got in. They said one of the tickets was not good. We show them that we had multiple new tickets but they did not even looked. They asked for passports and gave us a 50 euro fine. I tried to tell them we had multiple new tickets and maybe validated an old one by mistake - it was not like we were on the bus WITHOUT tickets. They were very rude. In the end I said I was going to write a complaint about this and they told us they were being very nice because we cannot use the bus with luggage if we dont pay additional fees. In the Maria Novella Station, I went to ATAF info desk and asked if there is any fee for luggage and they said there is not. I feel the inspection was not correct and tried to win 50 euros at our expense. Does anyone know how to submit a complaint? I just feel is so wrong those guys creating rules and harassing people.
 
Did you already pay the fine? Are you still in Florence? If you are, you can head back to that ATAF ticket office in SMN and file the complaint directly there.

This page has more info but it is only in Italian: http://www.ataf.net/it/servizio-clienti/segnalazioni-e-reclami.aspx?idC=75&LN=it-IT

Yes, I also feel that they take advantage -- many push you to pay on the fine, knowing that if you pay the fine then you give up the right to contest the fine!! that is why I was asking whether you paid already....
 
Hi Lourdes ! Thanks.. Unfortunatelly we paid because we did not even know there was an option. They stood there saying if we would pay by cash or card. Is it correct to give us a fine if we gave them the new tickets? Also, the fact that they lied and invented about the luggage fee made me feel they were not honest. We just left Florence. The guy in the ATAF booth said I could write an email. We do not speak italian, how could we know that we had an option to not pay? 😟 Is there an entity for customer rights where I could file a complaint? Its not about the 50 euros, but I was very mad because they were rude and dishonest.
 
I know, I also get a feeling that they are just taking advantage -- bullying and insisting people pay on the spot, when even the fine was not correct and thus could be contested.

I encourage you to write to these email addresses to file the complaint:

ATAF
Ataf Gestioni srl – V.le dei Mille, 115 - 50131 Firenze.
Fax: 055-5650209.
E_mail: segreteria@ataf.fi.it

Region of Tuscany Help Desk

numeroverdetpl@regione.toscana.it

Florence Tourism Board
Via Cavour office has the "Sportello Tutela Diritti del Turista" which is in charge of taking care of tourists and their rights. You can write to them here infoturismo@cittametropolitana.fi.it
 
Hello!! I have seen some posts about the inspection in the Ataf bus and I would like to consult people who live in Florence about an incident I was part of. I was in line D to Maria Novella station with a friend and two guys from the inspection got in. They said one of the tickets was not good. We show them that we had multiple new tickets but they did not even looked. They asked for passports and gave us a 50 euro fine. I tried to tell them we had multiple new tickets and maybe validated an old one by mistake - it was not like we were on the bus WITHOUT tickets. They were very rude. In the end I said I was going to write a complaint about this and they told us they were being very nice because we cannot use the bus with luggage if we dont pay additional fees. In the Maria Novella Station, I went to ATAF info desk and asked if there is any fee for luggage and they said there is not. I feel the inspection was not correct and tried to win 50 euros at our expense. Does anyone know how to submit a complaint? I just feel is so wrong those guys creating rules and harassing people.
Very sad that today I have experienced the rudeness of all these bus ticket inspectors here in Florence. We were travelling in four and each with our luggage and boarded a bus from the train station to get to our hotel, it was a three stops ride. On the first stop two inspectors came up and asked for tickets in the bus. There were about 4 to 5 more others in the bus with luggage as well but spoke italians, unfortunately we did not speak Italian. When they asked for our tickets we presented all four of our tickets and it seemed fine. When the other tourist gave the tickets and had one ticket short for whatever reason we don't know they were let go, they the inspectors asked whose luggage are these pointing to our luggage and also the luggages of the others. We pointed to our luggages and said they were ours then they told us we need to buy tickets for luggage as well which seemed absurd. Anyways they told us immediately to pass our passport In a very rude way and told us to get off the bus. We got off the bus and they started to threaten us, saying we should buy ticket for the luggage and now we will be fined. We ask why did the other who spoke italians had luggage but were let go and they said because our luggages were bigger. I swear to the God and world that our luggages were exactly the same size as theirs! They were just trying to prey on people who seem weak so they can fine them! When we got off the bus we got suspicious and ask for their id and asked if there is any number we can call and they said there is no number we can call but there is a police station just nearby that we can go to, but intitially they are going to give us 2 fines on 4 luggages. But one of the inspectors said if we go to police station he will give us 4 fines. That is obviously threatening so that we would get scared and pay on the spot. Fortunately we went inside one of the fashion stores on the street and they told us they have never heard of such rule of paying ticket for luggage. We refused to pay on the spot but they kept pushing and told us that if we don't pay now the fine will get more and more and eventually become 240euro from the original 50euro fine. We still decided not to pay and will file a complaint to their customer service. Such rudeness and unreasonable incidence is ruining so many tourists Experience in Florence. I hope they can actually sleep at night after doing such terrible things to innocent tourists.
 
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