Fiumicino, airport Leonardo da Vinciawarded as the best in Europe for the seventh consecutive year. Around 11.15pm Saturday 1st June, the day before a holiday, the airport is teeming with tourists. At the exit of Terminal 1 travelers follow the route prepared to channel the flow. The queue flows but, although there are many more white cars than people waiting, the criterion of theorder of arrival it comes completely ignored. «Where are you going?», is the (arbitrary) pass imposed by those who (it is difficult to understand whether it is a regular taxi driver or an illegal one) sort people according to destination.
The discriminating arrival address for getting the ride
Despite what should be the smooth flow of the queue, It matters where you are headed: «Who goes to northern Rome?» and the discriminates to get on board. A disoriented tourist shows the hotel address on her phone screen. «Prati… Perfect, I’ll carry her». Romanstrain yourself to recognize the mistakes you risk running into if you ignore certain mechanisms, arise: «Actually, I was there first…”. The objection, however, does not affect whose determination distributes the rides based on own convenience: «Are you going to San Giovanni? ‘Ndo is it to the South? Actually no, in the East… (the new municipal regulation provides for knowledge of the places as a minimum requirement, ed). Wait for the next one… Are you going to Piazza Vescovio instead? Well, come with me.”
Patanè: «Strengthen controls, more patrols are needed»
From the Capitolhowever, the Transport Councilor, Eugenio Patanèstigmatizes the malpractice of “getting the race”, a slang expression used by insiders: «An illegal practice that can be punished with even very serious sanctions up to the suspension of the license. The taxi driver has theobligation to charge the customer and ask him where he is going only after he has boarded. We ask that vigilance be maintained at Fiumicino at least until half past midnight, in the period with still significant air traffic volumes which then gradually decrease. Fundamental then, in view of the Jubilee, the strengthening Gitthe team of vehicles that, in addition to checking the taxi drivers, also check the regularity of the service provided by the tourist coaches: at the moment there are only 50 units, we hope that part of the 800 new policemen will be assigned to this type of activity”.
Bittarelli (3570): «At night Fiumicino is a no-man’s land»
The “coarse” method of choosing the customer – perhaps because the destination is close to one’s home and at the end of the shift one has little desire to cross the city from one end to the other – is being brought to the attention of the Polaria, who reiterates: «Succession must be respected. We are committed to prosecuting incorrect practices, although the only fixed control is managed by Adr.” Until yesterday at company that manages Rome’s airports there were no anomalies but, following the report, it was started «an internal study». The trade union organizations summoned to also condemn the arbitrary selection of passengers tomorrow at the Department of Business and Made in Italy (theme of the meeting was the implementing rules of the Asset decree, the probable interlocutor was the deputy minister Edoardo Rixi): depending on how the discussion goes, the workers’ representatives will decide whether to confirm or revoke the strike called for Wednesday and Thursday. «Unfortunately after 11pm Fiumicino becomes a no-man’s land – admits Loreno Bittarelli, president of Radiotaxi 3570 – with touts who resell rides to taxi drivers: a disgrace. The solution? We need a greater presence of the police.” Alessandro Atzeni (Uiltrasporti Lazio) agrees on the need to increase controls: «The progression of the queue must be respected and there is an obligation to perform, except outside Rome»
