Tuesday May 21, it promises to be a difficult day for those who have to travel around the city due to the strike of the taxi. The white cars from all over Italy, from Milan a Rome, they will stop for 14 hours in protest against the controversial package of measures aimed at revising the legislation relating to non-scheduled public transport. The protest, organized by the acronyms Unica Cgil, Fast, Ugl, Uti, Tam, Claai Unione Artigiani, Satam, Or.sa Taxi, Uritaxi, Atlt, Ati Taxi, Sitan/Atn, Usb Taxi, Unimpresa, and Federtaxi Cisal, will begin at 8 am and will end at 22 pm. Despite the strike, transport services will be guaranteed for the most vulnerable categories, such as the elderly, disabled and sick.
Taxi drivers and NCC against the government: the new rules trigger protests
Taxi drivers require greater protection and regulation of the taxi organizational system, as well as concern for possible surprises in the final content of the decrees developed by the technicians of the Ministry of Transport, led by Matteo Salvini, in collaboration with the Ministry of Enterprise of Minister Adolfo Urso. The goal is to clarify the differences between taxis, NCC (Rental with driver) and services offered by digital platforms such as Uber. However, the draft decrees, circulated in recent days and now being examined by the Privacy Guarantor, have been modified several times, causing tensions between the parties involved. This aroused not only the tough opposition of taxi drivers, but also of NCC operators and the companies that manage intermediation platforms, who feel severely penalized by the regulatory reorganization.
Why did taxi drivers decide to strike?
In particular, taxi drivers are concerned about the illegitimate use of Ncc authorizations, which they believe are being exploited incorrectly to the detriment of those who regularly work with a taxi driver's license, putting their economic stability at risk. Another reason for concern is the growing dependence on intermediation systems managed by multinationals e algorithms, like those of Uber, who fear it could undermine their working autonomy and make them dependent on technological platforms who control the market.
Despite assurances from the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, that the new taxi rules have been well received by the majority of Italian municipalities, taxi drivers believe that these measures are not sufficient. Urso underlined that many municipalities they have already announced competitions Extraordinary is released licenses temporary to adapt to the new regulations, but the unions believe that these initiatives are not enough to guarantee a stable and safe future for taxi drivers. The minister also underlined that the government does not favor either Uber or NCC, but seeks a "right balance" in the new rules.
