11/12/2024
Dear Users of Chauffeur Services,
I am writing to you because I understand how much you value the freedom to use chauffeur services to travel when and how you choose. This freedom is now under threat due to measures introduced by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Matteo Salvini.
The “Salvini decrees” — issued by the Ministry without any involvement from Parliament and against the advice of both the Transport Regulation Authority and the Antitrust Authority — require NCC (chauffeur service) operators to share passengers’ personal data and trip details with the government. They also impose a mandatory minimum waiting time of 20 minutes between clients, prohibit customers from booking services through travel agencies or hotels, and reinstate the obligation for operators to return to their garage after each service — a requirement that was abolished by the Constitutional Court in 2020.
In essence, these decrees impose numerous obstacles on both customers and NCC operators, with the sole aim of undermining the freedom of movement of those who choose chauffeur services and the business rights of those who provide them. This is entirely at odds with what is happening across the rest of Europe and with what is urgently needed in Italy today.
The inevitable consequence of the “Salvini decrees” will be a further deterioration of non-line public transport in our cities, which is already struggling to address the significant gap between demand and supply. Starting tomorrow, this will result in an even greater reduction in service availability and freedom of choice.
On December 12, the chauffeur service sector will take to the streets in various Italian cities to call on Parliament and the Government to block the “Salvini decrees,” protect the freedom of movement of citizens and tourists, and safeguard the business rights of NCC operators. We will protest, strengthened by our principles as workers and entrepreneurs in the non-line public transport sector. We will do so to defend your right to freely choose how and when to travel.
For this reason, we ask not only for your understanding of our protest but also for your support in any way you deem useful and appropriate. We apologize for any inconvenience we may cause on December 12, but we must stop for one day to avoid being stopped forever.
Best regards,
Andrea Romano
President of MuoverSì Federation of Chauffeur Services and Mobility “”
