UDINE. Full speed ahead. Not only with 80 percent capacity on commuter buses and trains, but also on the alignment of school schedules. «The opening hours? ” – will continue to be based on the organizational hypothesis of not misleading the opening hours of the schools in the region.
THE SUMMIT
The meeting on Thursday between the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Enrico Giovannini and the representatives of the Regions does not therefore seem, at least on the basis of what has emerged so far, to lead to changes in the strategy already outlined by our Regional Council and by public transport companies.
«The 80% limit – Pizzimenti specifies – will be applied up to any color changes in the region. The only possibility of reduction with the same color is that provided for vehicles with interregional service: if the Veneto were to pass in yellow, for example, trains and buses of local public transport in service between the two regions would be required to comply with the most restrictive rules “.
I MEZZI
The Government, according to what emerged during the meeting, would have made available to the Regions, and therefore to the LPT companies, new allocations of 1,418 million euros to cover the higher costs and lower operating revenues relating to the second half of the year.
«Given that we are still waiting for the balance for the previous school year – declares Pizzimenti – we have not yet quantified the necessary resources. However, we are already certain that we can guarantee adequate coverage of vehicles, with an increase of 20-25% compared to the current fleet of buses in circulation, such as to maintain compliance with the 80% requirement, but avoiding problems related to excessive clogging of roads and terminals ».
THE RULES
As far as the rules are concerned, the government guidelines do not yet provide for the obligation of the Green pass for local public transport workers (nor for passengers: a hypothesis which is very difficult to implement), but they go towards a more rigorous line. .
The aim is to make the surgical mask mandatory (no tissue, therefore) and the FP2 recommended, however, not only on board but from the moment you enter train and bus stations. There is also an obligation to equip all vehicles with disinfectant gels and liquids, as well as recommending to managers to encourage the online sale of tickets and passes, to reduce the risk of gatherings.
ANTI-COVID CONTROLLERS
Frozen, for the moment, one of the many issues at the center of the debate and confrontation between the Government and the Regions: that of strengthening controls on vehicles, aimed at ensuring compliance with the requirements and restrictions, from the use of masks to compliance with the distancing and capacity limits.
Minister Giovannini’s proposal to establish a sort of fixed controller on every vehicle, a bit like it once did, found not only the transport unions cold, but also the Regions, to say the least.
Pizzimenti himself had expressed serious doubts about the availability of the necessary staff and the sustainability of the related costs. But first of all, trade organizations stand in the way, arguing that the competences of the controllers concern the verification of possession and regularity of travel documents, not aspects relating to safety and public order. It will be discussed on Monday in the meeting between the minister and the trade unions.
In any case, Giovannini’s proposal appears to be difficult to implement. It is legitimate to wonder if there will be someone to supervise the actual compliance with the limits, if only with random checks, or if the 80% of capacity will rather remain a “statistical” limit, achievable in theory through the strengthening of fleets, but in practice subject to inevitable overruns. –
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