Despite the ongoing government crisis, the Competition Bill is back on track in the Chamber, even at the cost of losing one of the politically “heavy” chapters along the way: the delegation to the government for the adoption of a decree to reform the transport sector offline audience. Or taxi and NCC, rental services with driver. Next Monday, 25 July, the 3634 Competition Bill will in fact come under examination by the Chamber of the Chamber. So the Montecitorio group leaders’ conference decided.
During the meeting, the Government anticipated its intention to withdraw from the provision (Annual Law for the market and competition 2021, already approved by the Senate at first reading). one of the most controversial articles, number 10, precisely that relating to the reform of taxis. The goal is an approval at the last minute, before the dissolution of the Chambers, also because without the green light to the provision, one of the 55 targets necessary to collect the funds of the NRP is at risk.
The satisfaction of Lega and FdI
Among the first to rejoice at the excerpt of the norm on white cars there are the Northern League who speak of a “victory of common sense”. The deputies of the League in the Transport Committee Elena Maccanti and Edoardo Rixi now say they are “ready for a rapid approval of the bill”, and rather invite on the implementing decrees necessary to complete the process of the other rules provided for by the bill by the end of the year, thus respecting the deadline set by the NRP. Brothers of Italy are also on the same lines as the Lega. “Thanks to the Brothers of Italy and to the entire center-right, article 10 of the Competition Bill will be removed to protect taxi drivers”, underlines the FdI group leader in the Chamber, Francesco Lollobrigida. This, he continues, “is the only way to defend the sector from the unfair competition that multinationals would put in place to satisfy their desire for speculation on a public service. We must safeguard jobs and guarantee the entire system that was in danger of being dismantled by this absurd proposal ”.
The sigh of relief from the taxi drivers’ unions
The taxi drivers’ unions are also satisfied with the government’s step backwards, who breathe a “sigh of relief”, explains Riccardo Cacchione, national coordinator of Usb Taxi, “for us and for all users who turn to what should be a service essential public “. A little less enthusiastic Nicola Di Giacobbe, national coordinator of Unica Cgil Taxi, who comments on the excerpt of article 10: “In reality it had already been voted by the majority in the Transport Committee: it was a decision already taken, as we had asked for . But we also asked for an intervention to regulate technological applications and to implement the two decrees that remained pending. The government has decided, at this stage, to proceed on the excerpt but not on the rest. Good on article 10, therefore, bad on the rest, because the rule had to be done, because in this way the multinationals will continue to operate without rules on our territory ”.
Assoutenti clearly opposed: no to excerpt
The reaction of consumers is the opposite. Assoutenti is in fact “clearly opposed” to the excerpt of article 10: “Once again the Italian State seems to want to give in to the violence and pressure of the corporate lobby of taxi drivers, demonstrating a weakness towards white cars that has no equal in the world” . For years, remembers President Furio Truzzi, “measures are expected in Italy capable of reforming the sector of non-scheduled public transport, increasing competition and adapting the service to the opportunities offered by modern technology“. It is also absurd, the association underlines, that the Government on the one hand excerpts the rules on taxis that would have favored users, and on the other leaves within the Ddl “the provisions that will increase the costs of TPL auto through the obligation for foreign insurance companies to join direct compensation.