ROME -- Rome’s taxi sector is undergoing a mini-revolution: with one thousand more licences set to be issued, increased fares, and pushback from the drivers, Rome’s city council have said. 

  Currently, there are 7,800 licenses which allow taxi drivers to work on the streets of Rome, however, the next step by Rome’s unpopular mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, will be to increase the number of NCCs (car rentals with a driver) by 2000. Since 1993, no new NCC licenses have been issued.

  “There are not enough taxis” the mayor said, “we need more as soon as possible to avoid the scenes of endless queues we are witnessing.” 

  Drivers and unions have largely opposed the new decisions. Excluding CGIL, who gave their approval, unions including Uritaxi abstained from voting and UGL actively voted against the new decisions.  Drivers, instead, have called for a gradual introduction of the new licenses, as opposed to the 1000 coming all at once. 

  “An increase was due, by law,” said Eugenio Patanè, the Mobility Councillor for Rome, “It should be increased by 15 per cent but in some cases, in accordance with the type, we have not surpassed this threshold. It was only exceeded for the route to Ciampino.”

  The increases in fares will see an initial rise on the taximeter from 3 euros to 3.50 on weekdays and 7 euros to 7.50 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.. The journey from both Ciampino and Fiumicino airport to destinations inside the Aurelian walls will rise from 50 euros to 55, and from 31 to 40 for destinations outside the walls. 

  Certain discounts will however remain in place. For women booking taxis at night, the discount will rise from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, and a new 10 per cent discount has been introduced for the over 70s. The discount for passengers leaving nightclubs or looking to go to a hospital will remain at 10 per cent. 

  “Today we see a light at the end of the tunnel,” explained Mayor Gualtieri in a speech at the former ATAC depot in San Paolo, “we have a secure, hinged, and financed timetable.

   “We have put into place 10 billion for investments over 10 years, 1 billion per year: in previous years it was less than 100 million per year. The worksites cause inconvenience, but we decided to tackle the situation head on. Either we take drastic measures or Rome’s TPL would collapse.” 

lw