Cagliari, procession in memory of road victims: «Make crossings safe»
Initiative in viale Poetto to remember Giovanni Fanni and with him Beatrice Loi and Xuanming Guan. Colored ribbons to raise awareness and not forgetVideo di Francesco Pinna
A long round of applause broke out spontaneously after Donatella Gessa, her face streaked with tears, hung her ribbons at the spot where her husband, Giovanni Fanni , the 47-year-old accountant who was hit by an electric scooter between Viale Poetto and Via Campioni d'Italia while he was crossing the street with her and their daughters, died in July.
Shortly before, for over an hour and a half, a long silent procession of about a hundred people demonstrated in silence in Viale Poetto, coloring the poles near all the pedestrian crossings with hundreds of colored ribbons.
The Coordination of the Presidents of the School Boards of Sardinia also took part in the initiative: from Via dei Tritoni, where four years ago a 62-year-old man died crossing the road, to the point where a few months ago the accountant from Cagliari lost his life.
Many people have traveled along the road - in some cases even risking their lives because many cars are speeding by regardless of the pedestrian crossing - up to the roundabout in Piazza Campioni d'Italia.
"We ask that the city crossings be made safe," said Pino Aquila, spokesperson for the coordination of school board presidents, "whether it be with deterrents, traffic lights or other systems, it's up to politicians to decide. We want there to be no more tragedies."
My thoughts quickly flew to the one that recently cost the life of 17-year-old Beatrice Loi who was going to school at Alberti, or to fifteen-year-old Xuanming Guan , run over and killed in via Peretti , also while he was going to school, to end with that of Giovanni Fanni, with his wife who wanted to participate in the silent demonstration. Despite the pain and anguish in his heart visible every time he stopped to tie a colored ribbon.