Naples - The main Neapolitan taxi associations, including Napoli Fast Confsal, Federtaxi Cisal, Sitan/Atn Orsa Taxi, Tassisti di Base, Confail, UGL Unimpresa, UriTaxi, and Uti/Consortaxi, are raising the alarm and calling a general meeting for September 24th at 10:00 a.m. in Piazza Municipio.
The initiative stems from growing exasperation among the category, which denounces a multi-pronged attack, culminating in the city's extremely serious traffic problem.
A sector under siege: between illegal construction and a lack of regulations
The joint statement from the unions and associations leaves no room for interpretation: taxi drivers' jobs are "under attack like never before." One of the main threats comes from multinational apps, accused of assigning rides to vehicles operating outside of regulations, ignoring the principle of territoriality established by Law 21/92.
Added to this is rampant illegal activity, with advertising for illegal services on social media, accommodations offering unauthorized transportation, and agencies masking illegal rentals. The associations are calling for immediate intervention by the Postal Police and other competent authorities to put a stop to this "wild west."
Making matters worse is Councilor Cosenza's alleged intention to issue 30 new licenses for the transportation of disabled people, a measure that, according to the associations, would increase staffing "without any planning" and would represent "a low blow to an already struggling category."
The national dispute and the "total chaos" of traffic
The discontent isn't limited to the local context. Taxi drivers complain that the dispute is stalled at the national level as well, with the lack of clear rules preventing them from planning for the future of the industry. But the aspect that is most crippling the sector in Naples is traffic.
The associations describe the city's traffic as "total chaos," making it impossible to work. They denounce the inertia of the City Council and the Department of Transport, which for months ignored the issues raised at technical meetings, both at City Hall and the Prefecture.
Taxi drivers are demanding an efficient traffic plan that prioritizes non-scheduled public transportation to ensure a truly usable service for residents and passengers. Their call is clear: "It's time to say enough!" Participation in the assembly at the end of September is a "duty" for all taxi drivers.
