Taxi strike today, Friday 14 June, against the 72 new licenses announced by the Municipality. The white cars met at Parco Nord at 9am and left at 10am towards the center reaching Piazza Maggiore.
The taxi strike in Bologna against the Municipality’s licenses
The strike was called by the unions Osr Uilt, Uil/Unica taxi Cgil, Uritaxi, Ascom taxi, Confartigianato taxi and Cna Fita taxi which have established a twelve-hour block, from 8am until 8pm. The protest, as stated in the unions’ note, was proclaimed precisely after the municipal administration’s decision to introduce 72 new licenses “with economic values defined in a manner different from the provisions of the Asset decree”, specifying that “during the day, essential services will be guaranteed.”
Licenses cost 150,000 euros: «Discounts to reach 90,000»
But the taxi drivers’ protests do not make inroads into Palazzo D’Accursio: the Municipality of Bologna has published the notice for the release of the 72 new taxi licenses that have been talked about for months. Licenses «for consideration with a maximum contribution of 150,000 euroswhich could drop to 90,000 – writes the administration – thanks to a series of discounts and rewards linked to low-emission vehicles, to the type of service (night, pre-holiday and holiday) and to vehicles equipped for disabled people in wheelchairs”.
The call to find 72 new taxi drivers in the city
Three objectives primary officials of the tender, underlines the Municipality. The first is to «increase the number of vehicles suitable for the transport of disabled people with wheelchair”, the second will be to “increase the vehicles in the taxi fleet with emissions included between 0 and 20 grams per kilometer of Co2″, the third finally guarantee «a greater offer on duty during weekend night shifts.” Palazzo d’Accursio recalls that up to 131 new licenses could have been put up for tender: «But the administration deemed it appropriate, in line with the discussion carried out over the last two years with the taxi drivers’ associations, to proceed with a first phase with the assignment of 72 licenses”.
Councilor Orioli: it is necessary to improve the service
This tender «will allow us to expand the city’s fleet with at least 31 priority licenses, intended for the transport of disabled people», claims the Mobility councilor, Valentina Orioli: «I believe that the need to improve the taxi service in Bologna. This is the first step”. On social media, mayor Matteo Lepore defines the call for the increase in licenses as “necessary and expected”, but under his post the comment from Letizia Iorio of Uritaxi soon arrives: «In these hours we have contacted the lawyer for the appeal. Dutiful and predictable. You are dealing with a collaborative and proactive category. No one has ever said no to new licenses. You managed to do everything to get them contested. Compliments”.
