On planes you can rub elbows, provided you have a mask, while on trains you must respect the safety distance of at least one meter. But only if we are talking about Italo or FS high-speed trains, because instead on local trains each Region does as it pleases. The same also applies to buses and coaches: this is the beauty of Italian-style federalism. The end result however is a great chaos at the worst time, in August, when travel for the summer holidays reach their maximum intensity. Let's try to clarify the general situation a bit.
HIGH SPEED TRAINS
Let's start with high-speed trains. In light of a decree of July 14, Italo and Trenitalia had agreed to return from 50 to 100% of capacity starting from August 31, and from July XNUMX they had started selling tickets for all available seats. But then an ordinance from the Ministry of Health arrived which imposed the reverse: to reduce the risk of contagion from the coronavirus, the trains must continue to travel half empty.
At that point, however, many people ended up with an unusable ticket. On Sunday Italo canceled 8 trains, leaving about 8 passengers stranded. Trenitalia wrote an email to customers, after which he phoned everyone to propose alternatives or the return of the money. Replacement buses have also been organised, especially on the more touristic routes.
It should be clarified that there is no danger of having a voucher delivered: both with Italo and with Trenitalia, if the seat on board with distance is not available, customers can choose to leave on another train among those offered by the company, or have the ticket price returned.
LOCAL TRAINS
The situation is different on regional trains and in general on all local public transport. In these cases, the Regions decide, which in recent weeks have in many cases brought the capacity of trains back to 100%. The only obligation for those traveling on these convoys is to use a mask: the safety distance, however, is not guaranteed.
According to many experts it is a risky choice, therefore the Ministry of Transport has asked for an opinion on the technical-scientific committee, whose response will arrive in the next few days.
The Regions also have a decree of 16 May on their side which authorizes them to adopt more or less restrictive safety measures in public places than the national ones depending on their health situation. It is by no means excluded, however, that the government may ask some administrations to be more cautious. The opinion of the Cts will be decisive.
PLANES
As for the planes, according to the guidelines dictated by EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency, the safety distance is no longer mandatory since July 37,5st. To fly, therefore, just get on the plane with a body temperature below 4 degrees (the measurement is carried out with thermoscanners) and wear the mask, which must be changed every 6 hours. Only children under XNUMX can avoid carrying it.
Experts explain that on planes, unlike what happens in trains, the circulation systems filter the air about 20-30 times an hour, allowing a total change every 2-3 minutes.