Italian man, 80, owes €4,000 in fines after dodging motorway tolls

‘Nonno Mario’ avoided paying by nipping in behind prepaid Telepass customers before barrier descended

An 80-year-old Italian man nicknamed “nonno Mario” risks going on trial after he brazenly dodged paying €4,000 (£3,514m) worth of motorway tolls using a technique more frequently reserved for metro fare hoppers.

In his Fiat Punto, Mario “travelled far and wide” on Italy’s motorways for two years without paying a single euro, arguing that the charges were too pricey and not worth it for the poor service, according to Corriere della Sera.