IVREA. That “we will double the bimodal buses during rush hours” pronounced by councilor Marco Gabusi in the regional council, as a partial response to the problems of Canavese commuters, continues to be a promise kept on and off, at least not every day. Maybe a couple of days a week, that’s it. This is told by the same Ivrea commuters who take that train at 7.41am to go to work in Turin, then at 5.30pm or later to return to Ivrea.
«This morning (yesterday for those reading, ed) – explains Grazia Pitti, a commuter from Borgofranco -, there was only one train. Even last week, two days out of three that I took it, there was no doubling. Even on the way back, at 5.30pm there was only one train. There are people standing, especially from Turin people are standing at least until someone gets off in Chivasso.”
Last November, 17 Canavese mayors from all political parties demonstrated by boarding the 7.41 train in the tricolor band, led by the mayor of Ivrea Matteo Chiantore. It was Alberto Avetta, regional councilor of Cossano, who put them together, who then asked councilor Gabusi a question, loudly asking for the inclusion of Ivrea in the Turin metropolitan railway system.
Precisely on that occasion Gabusi responded by recalling that assessments had already been made in this sense and that, in chronological order, the annexation would take place first for the line to Biella.
However, he had also promised at least double bimodal trains to solve the problem of overcrowding during rush hours.
Already in March Avetta, urged by commuters, had returned to question Gabusi about the delays, the people standing on the train and the failed promise.
The councilor replied that these were sporadic episodes, due to limited contingencies. Well, according to the Canavese commuters, who take that train every morning, this is not the case.
«A few weeks ago – says Avetta -, responding to one of my many questions on the critical issues of the Ivrea-Turin railway line, the Transport Councilor Gabusi had guaranteed that the promise of the “red trains in double composition” had been kept at least in the hours peak. And as regards the inconveniences reported by commuters, although admitted, he had stated that they had been caused by “urgent circumstances”. Evidently not only do these “urgent circumstances” still persist, given that commuters in the last week have reported delays and crowded carriages to me, but that of the “double trains” has turned out to be a very precarious “promise”. In fact, even during rush hours we travel on “small” trains on the outward and return journeys, which perhaps stop in Chivasso because “the equipment broke”, as happened a few days ago with train 2714, which then left again almost half an hour late. There have been many cases reported in recent weeks.”
