Fleximan cuts down speed cameras in Italy

Saboteurs referred to as Fleximan have become a national talking point in Italy. On twenty occasions they sawed down poles with traffic cameras.

– It started with one person in northeastern Italy and then several have followed him in northern Italy but also now in Naples where some were arrested this week. They had destroyed a speed camera after receiving a fine right there, says Kristina Wallin, a freelance journalist who is on the ground in Empoli, Italy.

The nickname Fleximan comes from the Italian Flessibile, which in international media has been described as an angle grinder or circular saw. It is with this tool that the posts where the speed cameras are attached are dismantled.

Catching everyone involved is a challenge for the police.

– It is very difficult, they cut down speed cameras in places where not many cars pass by. But you can imagine that those who pass by applaud, says Kristina Wallin.

Divides the Italian people

On one side of the people there are those who call Fleximan “heroes” while others believe that road safety in the country is bad as it is. More and more Italian speeders have been fined in recent years.

– I spoke to an acquaintance today who said: “It’s not okay to cut down speed cameras, but I’m keeping Fleximan anyway because we have so much to pay so we don’t want to pay fines too,” says Kristina Wallin.

According to the BBC, Italy is the country in Europe with the most traffic cameras. They estimate the number at around 11,000, this compared to 7,700 speed cameras in Great Britain and 4,700 in Germany.

In the past, other tricks have been used to get rid of speed cameras.

– The cameras have been at street level, and it was a sport to paint them black, so they started setting up high speed cameras, says Kristina Wallin.

Fleximan has found a way around the matter.

– The majority of Italians probably think Fleximan is pretty cool, says Kristina Wallin and adds:

– You can say this: Italians don’t love speed cameras.