Naples choked by construction work: taxi drivers on the warpath after a meeting at the prefecture.

Naples – The patience of Neapolitan taxi drivers is at its limit. After countless protests, letters, and meetings with both the Municipality and the Prefecture, the last meeting held yesterday, July 17, 2025, at the Prefecture ended with yet another deadlock.

Despite the presence of Councillor for Legality A. De Iesu, Director of Public Transport & MaaS De Cicco, Director of Roads and Traffic Fusco, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Port Authority, the category's requests seem to fall on deaf ears.

Traffic paralyzed: "The city is suffocating"

At the heart of the discussion was the perennial issue of city traffic, aggravated by numerous ongoing and upcoming construction sites, particularly the one planned for Corso Umberto I in September.

The Association of Basic Taxi Drivers forcefully reiterated that "the city of Naples is now suffocated by road congestion." And, once again, their requests were met with "reticence," calling on the category to make further sacrifices "for the good of the city," ignoring the daily emergency experienced on the roads.

Proposals ignored and barriers at the port

Taxi drivers had presented a concrete alternative proposal to ease traffic congestion, not only for residents but also for emergency vehicles and local authorities: regulating access to the historic center through time slots. However, on this front too, the Municipality proved "ineffective," refusing to accept the proposal.

A point of relative openness was recorded regarding the management of the access barrier to the port, for which taxi drivers had requested an advance and an extension of the opening hours. port authorities has shown availability, positively welcoming the proposal, which will be discussed internally, for an opening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 15:00 pm to 21:30 pm.

Illegal "scheduled transport" and promised controls

Another critical issue that emerged concerns scheduled shipping in the port, which operates through unauthorized stations and engages in "inappropriate customer solicitation." Regarding this long-standing problem, the authorities have ensured more rigorous and timely controls.

Call for action: "We cannot remain silent."

The Association of Basic Taxi Drivers is appealing to all its colleagues, urging them to "maintain high levels of vigilance and be ready to participate in any protests." The concern is palpable: the opening of the construction site on Corso Umberto I is seen as a "death blow" to the already compromised city traffic system.

"Current political choices are becoming a systematic obstacle to our work. We cannot afford to remain silent," the Association concludes, anticipating possible new mobilizations in a context of growing exasperation.