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In the fight for the coronavirus there are what experts call “system failure”: stations, buses, subways, commuter trains full of passengers. Without the required spacing. And this defying the prescription, reaffirmed by the new Dpcm, with a capacity not exceeding 80%. So much so that the Scientific Technical Committee (Cts) indicates the index of transport companies, defining “an absolute necessity to guarantee controls on board buses and subways”: only in this way will it be possible “to comply with the rules for the prevention of meetings related to non-compliance with the filling limit of the medium “.
First Giuseppe Conte, in the hours in which the new squeeze is launched, does not hide the seriousness of the problem: “It is certainly a critical situation because, beyond the efforts of the quota, it is clear that there are moments of massification. We must avoid them, we will continue to monitor the situation and invest to ensure safety. And the head of Health, Roberto Speranza: “The transport problem exists and cannot be underestimated.”
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In short, this is the new frontier. The new alarm. So much so that it will be addressed this afternoon at a summit convened by the Minister of Transport, Paola De Micheli, with the associations of local public transport companies (Tpl), the representatives of the Conference of Regions, Municipalities and Provinces. “A meeting”, they explain to the Ministry of Transport (MIT) “that will help to understand the real situation and identify critical problems. For now, these have only been reported on social networks and the media, not by Regions and Municipalities.
De Micheli, on behalf of the government, will not be content to “follow up.” Excluding for now the reduction of capacity to 80% (the public transport service would collapse), together with the representatives of the local authorities will evaluate three solutions. The first: the introduction of staggered hours for schools, offices, shops in order to reduce the crowding of vehicles during peak hours. “A plan already launched in the spring, but that largely remained in the drawer,” says a source following the dossier. The second: the suspension of the Ztl zones. The third solution: the tightening of the controls in the stations, as was done in spring during the exit from the confinement, also with the support of the Civil Protection volunteers.
At present, it is not possible to fall below 80% of capacity, for the government and also for local authorities who would see the losses of their municipal companies increase. Hundreds of millions have already been spent on lost revenue from declining passengers. And further toughening would require a new outlay, so much so that today the local authorities will return to office.
However, Enzo De Luca, governor of Campania, seems determined to lower to 60% of his capacity to limit the risk of contagion in his region, where Covid is hitting harder than elsewhere. And today you must communicate it to the government.
The CTS is also pushing for a reduction in capacity, with the goal of limiting the risk of infections by 50%. But Asstra, the association that groups Tpl companies, considers that this solution is not practical. The thesis: “It would be difficult to continue reconciling compliance with the anti-Covid-19 protocols and at the same time guarantee the right to mobility, with the consequent risk of overcrowding at stops and stations.” The explanation: “With a capacity of 50% every day it would prevent some 275 thousand people” from getting on buses, subways and local trains. And by forcing a large part of users to make use of private mobility, more than 42,000 to more than 250,000 car trips could be generated each day during morning rush hours alone. Resulting in traffic congestion in cities.
Here, then, the staggered schedule takes over. A solution that pleases the Regions and President Stefano Bonaccini is promoting this solution. And it is appreciated by the City Councils, as shown by the words of the president of ANCI, Antonio De Caro: “In order to maintain a transport capacity below the maximum threshold of 80%, we must stagger the times of entry and exit from schools.” As accepted by local authorities, the incentive to smart work, also aimed at reducing congestion in public transport, provided for by the new Dpcm. But on condition of guaranteeing financial aid to bars, restaurants and shops in the historic centers, on their knees due to the lack of customers, now forced to work from home.
On the other hand, another recipe, proposed by the governors on Monday, to reduce the presence on buses and subways was rejected: distance education for students in the last three years of high school. On this, the ministers Lucía Azzolina (School) and Francesco Boccia (Regions) did not want to hear reasons. And the day after the long tug of war with the Regions, the director of the School reiterates: “That there are critical issues in transportation is obvious, but the solution is certainly not to leave the students at home.” But governors, especially those on the center-right, continue to chew bitter.
Last update: October 14 at 00:39
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