“In Rome public transport is a trap”

The consumer association denounces the lack of safety and inefficiency of the service. And Gualtieri & co warns: “The Jubilee is upon us”

ROME – Pickpocketing and attacks are the order of the day, lack of controls, metro and buses always late and packed: the picture of the Roman public transport service painted by Udicon Lazio. The consumer rights association rejects the state of the Capital’s public transport system under the leadership of Mayor Gualtieri, recalls that the “Jubilee is upon us” and calls for a necessary and urgent revolution in transportation.

“We are worried and dissatisfied with the situation of Roman public transport under the leadership of mayor Gualtieri and councilor Patanè. There lack of securityLinefficiency of the service sharpened by thefts, attacks And absence of controls they have turned public transport into a trap for citizens. It seems that Mayor Gualtieri and his administration have adopted the ‘we will do tomorrow’ philosophy to solve today’s problems. Meanwhile, citizens are left at the mercy of pickpockets and a totally unreliable service for tourists and residents.

“VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, AI, FACIAL RECOGNITION? CHECKS AND TELEPHONE COVERAGE NEEDED”

For now the only proposals have focused on controversial solutions to the detriment of consumer privacy such as the introduction of a video surveillance network powered by artificial intelligence and automatic recognition. We don’t want to imagine what could happen during the Jubilee if the situation persists.” He states it Fabrizio Cilibertopresident of Udicon Lazio.
“The episodes of pickpocketing And attacks – adds Ciliberto – ei controls are almost non-existent. There line B1 of the subway, without telephone or Internet coverage, represents a further risk to the safety of passengers, who in an emergency cannot even call for help. Furthermore, public transport in Rome has the same frequency as solar eclipses” quips Ciliberto. “The metro and buses are eternally late and when they finally pass, it is not uncommon to find convoys packedfights between exasperated citizens and drivers falling asleep while on duty”.

“THE COMPARISON WITH OTHER EUROPEAN CAPITALS IS UNFORGETTABLE”

“Comparison with other European capitals – he continues – it is inevitable and merciless. Rome has only 1.43 km of subway tracks per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 4.93 in London, 4.48 in Madrid and 4.28 in Berlin. From 2016 to 2023, just 11 km of tramways and 14.2 km of subways were built in Italy, ridiculous numbers when compared to those of the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. Ahead of the 2025 Jubilee, the administration announced the replacement of escalators, which will cause further inconvenience to the Romans, but the delays are already evident and the inconvenience for citizens is increasing. Gualtieri’s much vaunted “iron cure” turned out to be a bluff.”

“WE NEED MORE TRAM, METRO, TRAINS, SERIOUS INVESTMENTS”

“Italy is last in performance on sustainable rail mobility. We need more trams, metro and trains, but also serious and targeted investments. Rome is one of the worst European cities in terms of metro track provision, and stalled projects only make the situation worse. We strongly ask for immediate and decisive intervention by the competent authorities. We cannot continue to live in a city where public transport is synonymous with poor service and insecurity. We need a revolution in transport and we need it now. Inaction and incompetence must give way to concrete and effective action. Roman citizens deserve better,” he concludes.