ROME – Public transport strikes, led by the trade unions Faisa Confail, Orsa and Usb, have brought the Italian capital down to a crawl. Metro A was closed at 08.30 this morning whilst delays to Metro B and buses have heightened congestion throughout the city.

 Strikes to Rome transport services are to be carried out throughout most of the day, with a brief pause between 17.00 and 20.00 during which services are expected to resume. Closures and delays to the metro service have caused major difficulties while the Roma-Lido and Termini-Giardinetti lines have also shut down.

 Unlike Metro A, Metro B will continue to run, although the Bologna-Ionian section has been closed since 11.40. Buses have been especially crowded as services continue spasmodically.

 Heavy traffic has been widespread this morning with particular disruptions throughout the Grande Raccordo Anulare ring-road, as well as lengthy delays from Via Aurelia to Via Appia Nuova as commuters opt for a switch to cars, hoping to bypass the trouble. Further traffic has been reported from Cassia to Rome-Fiumicino and in the south with 2 km jams from Torrenova to Raccordo as the problems extend beyond the city too. The day-time restricted traffic areas in the Historic Centre and Trastevere have been lifted in an attempt to facilitate mobility.

 Sgb, Asbel-Cnl and Cub also confirmedfurther workforce strikes which have caused problems to the Civil Registry whilst Anief has declared there will be school strikes on Friday. A demonstration is anticipated from Piazzale Ostiense to Viale Trastevere at 09.00 tomorrow morning.

 Health care is also expected to suffer as the Federation of Independent Trade Unions announced a two-hour national strike by staff of the National Health Service. There will also be “a national demonstration on the day of the first parliamentary meeting of the eighteenth Italian legislature”.

 Meanwhile a “Green Zone” will be set up, encompassing an enormous area between Piazza del Popolo and Corso Vittorio Emanuele III. This zone will be under maximum security and demonstrations will be prohibited as the new Chamber and Senate assemblies are established.

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