Ncc, the Lazio TAR suspends the 20-minute break between services

Setback for the Ncc reform. The rule that establishes the obligation to stop for 20 minutes between services outside the garage has run aground at the Tar of Lazio, which yesterday published a decree partially accepting the requests of black cars. The suspension comes on the day of the Ncc front's protest in 12 Italian cities, to which Salvini responded yesterday from the stage of Rome's Auditorium: 'If in one period the taxis come to protest and in another period the Nccs come, it means that the reform is balanced and protects the citizen,' said the titular of Infrastructures.

The administrative judges adjourned the discussion of the matter to the council chamber on 13 January, but in the meantime they partially suspended the effects of the rule, objecting that "a serious and irreparable prejudice appears to descend for the holders of the activity of hire with driver as a result of the impositions introduced regarding the modalities of the relative performance". That is, that 'the booking can be registered as a draft service up to twenty minutes before the start of the relevant service' and that 'the departure coincides with the arrival of the previous service to which it is connected, which must be carried out on the same date as the relevant service, except for night services carried out in the first four hours of the morning'.

"Victory for justice and for consumers who would have paid for that compulsory siesta, given that the Nccs would have had less revenue for the same number of hours worked and, therefore, would inevitably have ended up passing on this Salvini tax to customers". This is the reaction of Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers' Union, while for Raffaella Paita, senator and national coordinator of Italia Viva it is 'a rejection for a government vision all in defence of a single category, that of taxis, against the Ncc and users'.

The decree of the Lazio Regional Administrative Court coincided with the protest of the black cars that had already proclaimed a lockout for Thursday 12 December for weeks. The focus of the mobilisation was precisely the Salvini decrees. Rome, Milan, Florence, but also Cagliari and Palermo were the theatre yesterday, along with eight other cities, of the agitations to which Uber cars also adhered. At the centre of the protest was the mini-reform that, according to the operators, represents an obstacle to work and the opening of the market. For Andrea Romano, former Dem deputy and president of MuoverSì, the 'decrees will have the effect of closing down thousands of companies, making transport in our cities even more hellish, hitting users, tourists and hotels,' he said from the presidium in Piazza Capranica in the capital. All the opposite of what would serve our cities, our transport, our citizens'. He was echoed by Francesco Artusa, president of 'Sistema Trasporti', who addressed the tenant of Palazzo Chigi directly: 'President Meloni, if all these companies are here, if the entire world of the Ncc has joined this strike, from Uber to Limolane to Transfeero have turned off their technology, if this initiative has had the support of consumers and Fiavet, the main tourism organisation in Confcommercio, which are certainly not Ncc, it is clear that your government is disturbing businesses'. Uber's adhesion to the agitation had also caused 'regret' in ministerial circles. "As for the specific reasons for Uber's strike, it is reiterated that the fight against abusiveness and irregularities in the performance of non-scheduled public transport services - which are among the priority objectives of the MIT decrees - should be a common goal," MIT sources stated. The line of the decrees was also defended by Salvini during question time in the Chamber of Deputies. 'For six years,' the minister replied on Thursday, 'we have been waiting for the implementing decrees, which aim to make the service effective by countering abusive behaviour. Uber is on strike. I'm sorry, but we must not always obey what some foreign multinational would like to happen in Italy'.