(Jamma) The second round of checks has begun on the public establishments in Merano which have inside them entertainment machines with cash prizes. "From our first monitoring - says Fabrizio Piras, commander of the municipal police of Merano - we discovered that in 320 out of 380 there were vending machines, an undoubtedly significant figure". And precisely on the occasion of the first "round" the Municipality informed all the bartenders, reminding them that according to the provincial law in force, slots cannot be kept within a radius of 300 meters from sensitive places. The fines. «Recently – continues Piras – we started the second round of checks and the first sanctions were imposed. So far we have reached about thirty fines, but we will only be able to complete the checks in the first part of 2014». In any case, there are very few bartenders who remove the slots after the first fine. They prefer to keep them to maximize profits.
The process. But in Merano, unlike the nearby Municipality of Bolzano, two checks and not three will suffice. "Whoever receives the second fine, which can even reach a maximum of 500 euros, either removes the slots or closes it". Calendar in hand, moreover, it is probable that the municipal police of Merano will be able to complete the checks only within a year. It is always a matter of personnel available.
The appeal. In the meantime, in the face of about thirty fines, there is also the appeal of a bartender. "Now - continues Piras - it's up to us to respond." The barman raised a number of objections underlining, among other things, that state jurisdiction should prevail over provincial jurisdiction. "The road has been traced - concludes Piras - and even Merano will not make concessions".
