Being stuck in traffic at Naples It's a daily experience for thousands of residents. This time, however, the one who paid the price was the city councilor for transportation, engineer Edoardo Cosenza, who was unable to attend a meeting of the Transportation Committee due to traffic jams.
The Basic Taxi Drivers Committee immediately turned this episode into a political issue, arguing that what happened to the councilor perfectly captures the critical issues that have plagued Neapolitan mobility for years.
"Naples suffocated by traffic"
In a press release, the Committee, along with several citizens' associations and with the support of the trade unions SITAN/ATN Unipresa and Federtaxi-Cisal, denounced a situation they now define as unsustainable.
According to taxi drivers, traffic congestion severely affects non-scheduled public transport, slowing down travel and increasing travel times. This issue, they claim, has been reported repeatedly to the relevant departments without any concrete measures being implemented.
Round tables, meetings and discussions without results
Over the years, the issue has come up several times at institutional level. The traffic issue has been addressed at the Prefecture, discussed with the mayor, and brought to the attention of the City Council.
However, according to the Basic Taxi Drivers Committee, the numerous meetings and institutional discussions have not resulted in effective measures to ease traffic pressure in the most congested areas of the city.
The battle for the reactivation of the ZTLs
Among the requests made by taxi drivers is the reactivation of the Dante and Morelli Limited Traffic Zones, considered an essential tool for reducing the presence of private vehicles in central areas.
The Committee reports having urged Municipalities 1 and 2 to express favorable opinions on this matter. The municipal presidents, however, have pointed out that the final decision rests with the relevant department and that their opinion is not binding.
This position did not satisfy the initiative's promoters, who believed that greater institutional pressure was needed to speed up decisions.
Sit-ins and protests to draw attention
The protest has already led to public initiatives. On April 25th, the Committee organized a sit-in in front of Municipality 1, while on May 30th, a new demonstration took place at Municipality 5.
The stated objective was to draw the institutions' attention to the worsening conditions of urban traffic and the need to adopt structural measures.
The request: a permanent traffic plan
The Committee concludes by appealing to Councilor Cosenza and the municipal administration to ensure that the incident involving him becomes an opportunity for a change of pace.
Among the proposals put forward are the reactivation of historic limited traffic zones (ZTLs) and the adoption of a permanent traffic plan capable of limiting private car access to the city's most congested areas. This strategy, according to taxi drivers, would improve mobility, reduce travel times, and make urban transportation more efficient.
It seems to me to be a very common situation in Naples. Taxi drivers have highlighted real problems, but even the institutions haven't reacted as they should. There are too many tables and too few facts; people are waiting for solutions. The ZTL can help, but clear plans and better coordination are needed.