Once the truck blocks have been removed, taxis take to the streets

In the South, the road hauliers' blockades have been removed, and trucks have started transporting goods and fuel again. It will take a few days for the situation to return to normal in supermarkets and distributors. But once the truckers' protest was over, the taxi drivers began, also strangled by the high cost of fuel. A rally of three groups is scheduled for Monday in Rome in front of the Ministry of Transport. On Tuesday another 27 acronyms will be seen in Florence. And the taxi strike is not a remote possibility.

During the night between Thursday and Friday, the hauliers in Campania and Calabria were removed, after the Council of Ministers allocated 105 million euros in support to the sector on Thursday. Previously, on Tuesday 20th, the Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini had promised 480 million in aid immediately, and another 590 for the renewal of vehicles. From Campania to Calabria, the trucks are back in motion to supply supermarkets and distributors. "It will probably take a few more days for a return to full normality", commented the prefect of Naples, Michele Di Bari.

In the South there are still dry service stations and empty counters in supermarkets. The president of Federdistribuzione, Carlo Buttarelli, predicts that "it will take no less than 5-7 days to return to full normality, because the shops are empty". Regarding the economic damage caused by the blockades, Buttarelli speaks of "tens of millions of euros in the regions involved". Accounts are also made on control operations. The Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, declared that 2,065 people were identified for the roadblocks in the South, 79 reported and 242 sanctioned. Of course the comparison will continue.

On Tuesday 27th the hauliers' associations will meet Minister Salvini at the MIT in Rome to take stock of the situation. But while the truckers' protest against high fuel prices falls within the ranks, that of the taxi drivers begins. Three trade associations, itTaxi, Uri and Unicoop, have announced a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Transport for next Monday, from 10am to 1pm. A truly unusual fact, together with the taxis their competitors, the Rentals with Driver (NCC) will also demonstrate. Another 27 acronyms (including Uiltrasporti, Usb Taxi, Federtaxi Cisal) will meet in Florence the following day, Tuesday 27th, to evaluate fighting initiatives. "The strike is an option on the pitch, and it is more likely than ever," said Carlo Di Alessandro of Federtaxi Cisal.

"We are faced with an economic emergency that is no longer sustainable - said the president of itTaxi, Loreno Bittarelli -. With the tariffs administered by the Municipalities, we cannot pass on the record increases in petrol and diesel to customers: the costs are paid entirely by the workers, whose margins are eliminated". itTaxi and the others are asking the government for the extension of "Professional Diesel" (i.e. tax-free), an extraordinary compensation fund and incentives for the green transition. The acronyms that will be seen in Florence ask for support for the category and the entry into force of anti-illegal measures provided for by law, but not yet applied.