These gates were installed to discourage traveling without a ticket, reduce crime, and increase security while barring access to beggars and unauthorized vendors.
In vicinity of track 16, there is a catwalk towards Piazzale Montelungo that provides access to bus departures, but it is also a popular cut through for pedestrians who want to reach the city center from the Fortezza da Basso.
To monitor the local foot traffic here, there will be a person checking tickets and pedestrians without tickets at the Piazzale Montelupo end. In the future, there will be a corridor and path for those without tickets to use instead.
To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.