Naples, taxi drivers in revolt: "Ignored by the Municipality, parking spaces cancelled to favor bars"

Napoli – Neapolitan taxi drivers are raising their voices against the municipal administration, accused of penalizing non-scheduled public transport in favor of bars and restaurants.

Despite the “Comune di Napoli” logo appearing on taxi doors, the category claims to be “the last wheel of the wagon” for Palazzo San Giacomo, complaining about a management that makes them invisible to citizens and tourists.

The emblematic case is that of Piazza del Gesù, where the taxi stands have been removed to make room for local tables.

The Second Municipality, through President Marino, declares not to know the reasons for the move, while the Office of Roads and Traffic of the Municipality remains silent, ignoring requests for clarification, even from some unions. The Councilor for Transport, according to the taxi drivers, “plays at being deaf and dumb.”

 In Piazza del Gesù the stalls have been removed

To make matters worse, the ANM has eliminated the old taxi stand, reducing the available spaces and moving them away from the heart of the square. “Taxi stands are now invisible to users,” complain taxi drivers, who point out that current legislation requires clearly visible and accessible stands.

With the increase in tourist flows, the category calls for an increase in the number of stations, not a reduction, which ends up favoring illegal operators.

Regular taxi drivers, subjected to annual checks, drug tests and obligations to the municipality, feel “pushed to the margins of the city”.

The protest, carried out by taxi drivers who are not members of the unions, also points the finger at those who should protect the category but remain silent in the face of decisions "taken without transparency". The final question is blunt: "Why don't those who should defend us oppose this penalizing management?".

Tensions are growing as taxi drivers are demanding concrete answers and a change of direction to restore dignity to an essential service for Naples.