Overseas correspondents in Italy spotlight issues with taxis at Rome airports.
Taxi drivers have been within the information in Italy just lately as a result of protests towards the federal government’s competitors invoice over claims that it might result in the enlargement of ride-hailing operators similar to Uber.
In Rome, nevertheless, there may be rising scrutiny on the nefarious actions of some cab drivers working out of the town’s two worldwide airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino.
The issue of vacationers being ripped off by ruthless taxi drivers at Rome’s airports isn’t new however is beneath renewed focus after being highlighted by two main international correspondents primarily based in Italy.
On Tuesday night time Mark Lowen of the BBC took to Twitter to complain after a visiting pal was informed by a taxi driver that the fare from Fiumicino to the centre of Rome was €70, regardless of it being a set fee of €50.
The motive force additionally demanded to be paid in money, claiming his bank card machine was damaged, in addition to saying he had no web and subsequently no GPS.
Taxi at Fiumicino choosing up a pal visiting. First claims it’s 70€ to central Rome (it’s 50). Then says bank card machine isn’t working, so solely money. Then says he has no web (it “recharges at midnight”) so has no GPS. Benvenuto a Roma.— Mark Lowen (@marklowen) July 26, 2022
By Wednesday morning Lowen’s tweet had been shared a whole lot of instances, with many individuals tagging the town’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri.
A number of commentators underlined the large energy of the taxi foyer, others steered travelling by public transport, some really useful the Samarcanda taxi cooperative.
Final month one other international correspondent and long-term Rome resident printed a “temporary thread on the disgraceful taxi state of affairs at Rome’s Ciampino airport”.
Gavin Jones of Reuters returned from London late on 28 June and sought a taxi to get dwelling, a comparatively quick journey which ought to have value about €20, he wrote on Twitter.
BRIEF THREAD ON THE DISGRACEFUL TAXI SITUATION AT ROME’S CIAMPINO AIRPORT: Yesterday night I arrived late at Ciampino from London. You come out of the airport and there may be nowhere apparent to queue for a taxi. Folks simply mill round in varied teams, hoping that considered one of— gavin jones (@gavinjones10) June 28, 2022
The journalist was refused outright by the primary driver whereas Jones turned down one other taxi driver after being quoted a fare double what it ought to have been.
“Ultimately one mentioned he’d take me dwelling for 25 euros. I hopped in to seek out 3 different folks within the taxi, with whom he’d made comparable preparations” – Jones wrote – “In order that was at the very least 25 euros from every of us, giving him a possible take of about 100 euros. He by no means turned the metre on, in fact.”
The reporters’ tweets prompted others to recount their disagreeable experiences as vacationers arriving into the Italian capital and have led to requires Rome’s mayor to handle the long-running drawback with rogue taxi drivers working out of the town’s airports.
Photograph credit score: Nataliya Pylayeva / Shutterstock.com.
