Smoke bombs, horns and blocked buses: taxis protesting against new licenses in Bologna

The heart of Bologna, under the two Towers, paralyzed by a line of cars and smoke bombs. It is the taxi drivers' protest against the Municipality's announcement which will increase 72 new licenses

BOLOGNA – Horns and even some smoke bombs in the protest procession of Bolognese taxi drivers, parading through the historic center against the notice for the issuance of 72 new licenses, published in recent days by the Municipality ( the price for new licenses is too low, depending on the category). Long lines of white cars travel today, Friday 14 June, along the very central Via Indipendenza and Rizzoli, blocking the passage of buses.

“You wait for the taxi, because taxi drivers have to wait for the Municipality of Bologna”, reads the flyer distributed among passers-by and tourists, which lists the requests to the administration: alternative routes in case of construction sites, preferential lanes, revision of shifts, tariff adjustment, more safety at night.

The protest ignited the day after the mayor Matteo Lepore’s announcement of the publication of a notice to increase the number of taxi licenses in the city. The mayor defined the initiative as “necessary and long-awaited” on his Facebook profile, with the aim of adding another 75 cars to those already present in the city. Not only that: Lepore also launched an online survey: “Do you agree?”, to ask citizens what they think. But right under the mayor’s post, Letizia Iorio of Uritaxi announces the category’s intention to present an appeal. “No one has ever told you no to new licenses. You succeeded. to do everything to make you contest them – writes the Uritax spokeswoman – Congratulations”.