Taxi strikes continue across Italy

 ROME--Protests continued on Friday as Taxi drivers stand against the potential changes to  laws that might occur in the coming days regarding car hire. The protestors feel betrayed by a potential new amendment that they feel favours an app like Uber or those who hire a driver. 

 On Friday there were very few cars around and none at Termini Station nor at either of Rome’s major airports. The management group of Roman airports has brought in a free shuttle to help travellers get back and forth to Rome. Similar inconvenience is happening across Italy.

 The taxi unions are however calling for its drivers to return to work in order to avoid inconvenience to its users. “We are inviting all to resume their duties but there are some difficulties,” said Lorenzo Bittarelli, president of Uritaxi. He also reaffirmed that the union will hold a meeting on the 22Feb. to decide what to do in opposing “rampant and illegal aggression by multinationals and the news of a delayed amendment has left drivers feeling betrayed. We are doing everything to make them understand that a us stopping like this causes nothing but chaos. We are against the proposed motion.”

 Alessandro Atzeni of Uiltrasporti in Lazio added: “Taxi drivers do not feel protected as they should by the city’s transport service.” However others, such as Riccaedo Cacchione, another union head is referring to the situation as: “ungovernable.” However he reaffirmed their commitment to see to it that drivers are allowed to exercise their legal right to strike whilst still seeing to it that they are still able to perform the essential service of helping people such as those with disabilities get to and from hospitals and so on. He claims that it will be difficult to do due to the fact that the amendment has been pushed back four days leaving taxi drivers in an uncertain position.

 Today taxi drivers met in various Roman parking lots and refused to take any rides unless there was an urgent need such as a medical emergency.