Naples – A nightmarish day for traffic in Naples has prompted the taxi drivers' unions, Sitan/Atn (P. Ottaviano) and Unimpresa (R. Serpico), to send a harsh note to the City Council.
The closure of Vico Mondragone, with the resulting reversal of traffic in Piazzetta Mondragone and Rampe Brancaccio, created a veritable "perfect storm," paralyzing traffic and creating unbearable inconvenience for residents, emergency vehicles, and, in particular, non-scheduled public transport workers.
The city is in chaos: "Ambulances stuck for hours."
The situation described by taxi drivers is dramatic: "The roads are blocked, and ambulances and emergency vehicles are experiencing serious difficulties throughout the city, forced to remain stationary for hours without any alternative." This chaos has direct repercussions on taxi drivers, who are forced to justify delays and high costs to customers, despite having no responsibility for them.
The imminent opening of new construction sites in key locations such as Piazza San Pasquale, Riviera di Chiaia, and Corso Umberto casts an even darker shadow over the future prospects for urban mobility.
The unions denounce the unacceptable management of traffic: "It is unacceptable that a traffic office fails to consider the needs of entire categories and fails to adequately inform workers and users, who suddenly find themselves stuck in traffic jams characterized by high levels of pollution."
A desperate plea: "Enough with the anarchy, we need strong decisions."
The letter, addressed to the Mayor, the Department of Mobility, the Transport Infrastructure Department, and the Local Public Transport and MaaS Service, mince no words. The taxi drivers reported taking two hours to cover the journey from Mergellina to Via Depretis, describing the day as "yet another horrendous day for traffic and circulation."
"There are no more words. We've said so much, we've made criticisms and suggestions. Now we say enough," reads the statement, which points the finger directly at Councilor Eduardo Cosenza.
While acknowledging his professional skills, the unions believe that the councilor, burdened with responsibilities such as public works, the subway, and civil defense, cannot carry out his traffic and mobility duties "adequately and efficiently."
The shocking request: "The councilor should leave mobility to others."
The criticism becomes a full-blown appeal: "Councillor, you are a brilliant engineer, nationally renowned. We ask you to continue doing your job well, of which you are one of the greatest exponents and experts. But leave mobility and traffic to others, who have the time and a little more consideration for taxi services."
The unions describe a city "in disarray, open to all, without limits or rules." They highlight road choices deemed senseless, such as the single lane on Via Acton or the closure of Via Partenope for those coming from Via Chiatamone, which force drivers to "poison themselves in the Galleria della Vittoria or get stuck between Via Chiatamone, Santa Lucia, and Via Cesario Console!"
In these conditions, "everything collapses, total anarchy, every man for himself. The public taxi service is unable to fulfill its essential role. Riders are getting out of their cars to continue on foot, drivers are desperate, but there is no way out of Naples' trap."
The final request is clear: "It is essential to intervene with measures that limit vehicular traffic and ensure that those who use public transportation (buses, taxis, subway, funicular, Cumana) can reach their destinations with reasonable certainty. We are convinced that, to improve our city, we need leaders capable of making strong decisions."
The ball is now in the municipal administration's court, which is called upon to provide concrete responses to an increasingly critical mobility situation.
The situation in Naples is truly worrying. Taxi drivers are complaining about enormous disruption, and I don't know how ambulances can be allowed to remain stranded. A solution must be found as soon as possible to improve traffic flow.