Salvini presents the new rules for the Ncc. But the category does not lay down its arms

Half an hour of forced waiting time - instead of a minimum waiting time, as originally planned - between the start of one Ncc service and the next. This is the most important novelty in the latest version of the three decrees regulating the non-scheduled public transport sector, i.e. taxis and Ncc. Too little, for companies and operators of chauffeur-driven car hire, who insist on rejecting without appeal the so-called "Ncc package", presented today, 3 April, by the Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini to a crowded audience of 57 trade associations, including taxi drivers and 'black cars'.

According to the minister's intentions, today's meeting of the MIT-Taxi-Ncc table, also attended by representatives of the Ministries of the Interior and of Enterprise and Made in Italy, should have closed the circle of the phase of confrontation with taxi drivers and rental operators with drivers initiated in early February on the implementing decrees of Law 12/2019, over five years overdue. In his introductory speech, Salvini explained that the final drafts 'also take into account the proposals sent in these months of discussion with the associations' and will be the subject of a final discussion before final adoption. He then reiterated his commitment to "unblocking an entrenched situation", aiming at "90% of those satisfied" among both the taxi drivers' and the Ncc's unions, giving "stability to the two professions" and also meeting the requests for an efficient service coming from Italians and foreigners. In the near future, Salvini recalled, there are in fact challenges awaiting us such as the Jubilee, the Winter Olympics, and the further growth of tourism, which require a quality leap in non-scheduled transport services.

Speaking of the entry into force, the minister assured tight deadlines only with regard to the Dm on the National Electronic Register (the so-called Ren) of all licensed companies, taxis or Ncc, the only one well accepted by the 'black cars', also in anti-abusive function. Long timescales - not before 2025, due to bureaucratic and legislative steps that cannot be circumvented - for the Dm on the Electronic Service Sheet and the Dpcm on technological intermediation platforms.

Salvini then announced a solution for the sanctions regime - considered punitive by the 'black cars' - that Article 85 of the Highway Code reserves for the Ncc, who are liable to have their licences withdrawn for any violation, even the smallest. On this front, MIT is aiming for a regulatory amendment entrusted not to the reform of the Highway Code (now in its second reading in the Senate) but to the Competition ddl, which will shortly be submitted to the Council of Ministers, an amendment on which there would also be a commitment from the Minister for Italian products, Urso.

Salvini's choices, explains in a note Andrea Romano president of "Muoversi", confederation of the main associations of the Ncc world, "will put thousands of companies and Ncc operators out of business, causing very serious damage to urban mobility, tourism and productive activities. Evidently Salvini intends to leave thousands of companies at home and millions of users in line'. The substantial confirmation of the points of friction decided by the MIT (among them, in addition to the disputed hourly spacing between different services, the obligation to inform the State of clients' timetables and destinations, and the ban on intermediation), therefore leads the Ncc operators to relaunch their national mobilisation "already underway for weeks", which has already led to two protest demonstrations in Rome. 'We trust,' the note concludes, 'that the majority forces, including the League, want to re-discuss these regulations and that the Prime Minister's Office wants to take direct responsibility for a dossier that already has very heavy implications for the country's credibility.