Naples' Antitrust Authority calls for a halt to the direct awarding of services to ANM: "Inadequate service and dissatisfied users."

Naples – The Antitrust Authority has notified the Campania Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of an appeal against the latest in-house award of local public transport services to the Azienda Napoletana Mobilità (ANM). The Authority's aim is to overturn the Manfredi administration's resolution extending the direct management of the service, in effect for approximately twenty years.

According to the Authority, the restriction of competition is not adequately justified in the public interest, especially in light of the results achieved by the operator.

Monitoring started in 2024

The Antitrust Authority has been monitoring the situation in Naples since 2024. In April 2025, it had already sent a report to the Municipality, highlighting that, despite some improvements seen over the years, numerous quality indicators remain below established targets. In particular, user satisfaction remains low, especially for surface services (buses). The resolution awarding the contract to ANM was nevertheless approved by the Municipality six months later, without accepting the Authority's invitation to proceed with an open tender.

User satisfaction data

In the report presented by the Municipality, satisfaction rates reached 57,2% for surface lines and 72,7% for the metro, compared to a planned target of 80%. The main critical points highlighted by the Antitrust Authority concern: regularity of services
communication in case of malfunctions
territorial coverage and bus frequency

A 2023 European Commission report ranks Naples fourth-to-last among European cities in terms of satisfaction with local public transport, with only 30% of users satisfied.

The management criticalities highlighted

The Authority emphasizes that the new award is based on optimistic projections given the operational challenges that remain. It also recalls that ANM had been admitted to a preventive composition with creditors due to operating costs that were 40% higher than standard. The Municipality reported to the Antitrust Authority a 30,5% increase in traffic revenue between 2022 and 2023 and a 4% reduction in operating costs. However, the Authority does not consider these results sufficient to demonstrate the achievement of a cost per kilometer in line with standards, nor are they attributable solely to an improvement in internal efficiency. According to the Antitrust Authority, the bus fleet renewal funded with NRRP resources is also not accompanied by data demonstrating a concrete benefit in service quality.

The regional regulatory framework

The Campania Region had initially planned a two-lot tender for public transport. In July 2024, at the Municipality's request, the regional law was amended, returning responsibility for the service to Palazzo San Giacomo and thus allowing direct awarding to ANM. The Antitrust Authority believes that, by accepting the April 2025 complaint, the Municipality could have used the entire 2025 period to organize a tender process capable of ensuring higher levels of efficiency and concrete benefits for the community. The appeal to the Campania Regional Administrative Court is now being examined by the administrative judges.