Naples, a bitter Christmas for taxi drivers: shocking posters against traffic

Naples is preparing for a bitter Christmas for taxi drivers, who have posted mocking posters on their cabs, denouncing unsustainable traffic and a lack of earnings in a year marked by protests and tensions with the administration.

Naples – There's no gold under the Christmas tree for Neapolitan taxi drivers, only red traffic lights and endless lines. Just days before Christmas, the protests of the white cars are once again inflaming the Campania capital, this time with irony.

Unmistakable posters appeared yesterday on hundreds of cars queuing between Piazza Garibaldi and Via Marina: a tired Santa Claus, squeezed between the Maschio Angioino and Vesuvius, holding two sacks. One is overflowing with traffic, the other is woefully empty of earnings.

The graphic provocation is the latest act in a 2025 firestorm for urban mobility. Over the past twelve months, the trade union has repeatedly besieged Palazzo San Giacomo, complaining of a traffic gridlock that—they say—has made it impossible to guarantee service.

From the spring protests against the extension of the ZTL (limited traffic zones) to the fierce summer protests over the management of tourist flows and the lack of protected preferential lanes, dialogue with the administration is at an all-time low.

"We ironically thank Mayor Manfredi and Councilor Cosenza for this gift," read the bottom of the posters. The finger is pointed at the endless construction sites and a traffic management system that, according to the unions, penalizes those who spend ten hours a day on the road. "The longer we spend stuck in traffic, the fewer trips we manage. The riders are unhappy, and we don't bring home any money," they explain from the parking lots.

Today's protest is just the epilogue of a year marked by:

The April strikes: due to the lack of controls against illegal construction.

The October meetings: against new licenses and the lack of road maintenance.

The chaos of major events: which often saw taxis unable to reach the city's key hubs.

As the city prepares for the peak in visitors for Christmas Eve dinner, the atmosphere remains tense. Santa's "empty bag" is a warning: without a structured traffic plan, 2026 risks opening just as it's ending, amid honking horns and resignation.