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How is Italy’s nationwide public transport strike affecting travel on Monday?

Passengers in cities around Italy, including Rome, Milan and Venice, faced delays and cancellations on Monday, September 9th, as an eight-hour nationwide strike hit local public transport services.

A public transport tram pictured in Milan, with the Duomo Cathedral in the background.
A public transport tram pictured in Milan, with the Duomo Cathedral in the background. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

The walkout was set to affect all types of local public transport, from surface services (buses, trams, commuter trains and ferries) to underground metro lines, but wasn’t expected to affect long-distance rail services and taxis.

As it’s often the case with public transport strikes in Italy, the start and end times of the protest were set to vary from city to city.

The level of disruption faced by passengers was also set to vary depending on the number of transport workers participating in the protest in each part of the country.

According to the latest media reports, commuters in major cities, including Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence, were all likely to experience at least some level of disruption on Monday, though the strike may also have an impact in smaller cities and towns.

The protest was called in late July by some of Italy’s largest transport unions to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements and to protest against “the insufficiency of the resources allocated to the [transport] sector, inadequate wages [and] poor work-life balance” according to a statement from union Filt Cgil.

Rome

Rome’s public transport operator ATAC said in a statement that the walkout may disrupt metro, bus and tram services from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Atac also said that the normal operation of buses run by RomaTpl, Autoservizi Troiani/Sap and Autoservizi Tuscia/Bis may be affected by the strike over the same time window, but didn’t provide further information.

Milan

Milan’s major public transport operator ATM said that the strike may affect the normal operation of its metro lines, trams and buses from 6pm until end of service.

ATM also said that passengers on the Como-Brunate funicular may experience disruption from 7:30pm until end of service. 

Venice

Venice’s public transport operator ACTV said the strike may affect water buses and mainland bus lines from 10am to 4pm.

ACTV also published a list of all the water network services that are guaranteed to go ahead on Monday. This is available here.

Florence

In Florence, passengers using Autolinee Toscane’s bus services may experience disruption from 2.30pm to 10.30pm, according to a statement from the company. 

Gest, which operates a number of tram lines in the Tuscan city, said that staff were set to walk out from 9.30am to 5pm.  

Bologna and Ferrara

Staff at Tper, which operates buses in Bologna and Ferrara, in the northeastern Emilia Romagna region, were set to walk out from 8.30am to 4.30pm. 

The protest was set to affect the Marconi Express monorail, which connects Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi Airport with the city’s central rail station, over the same time window.

Naples

In Naples, public transport operator Anm said that tram and metro services scheduled from 9am to 5pm may not go ahead as normal due to the strike. 

Genoa

Genoa’s public transport operator AMT said that staff were set to strike from 9.30am to 5pm.

Guaranteed services

Under national strike laws, public transport companies are required to guarantee the operation of a number of essential services (servizi minimi) during walkouts.

The exact times vary by operator, but usually coincide with peak travel hours.

For further details on guaranteed services, passengers are advised to check the relevant transport company’s website or social media accounts.

Anyone planning to travel by public transport in Italy on Monday is advised to leave extra time for their journey and check the status of their service with the local operator before setting off.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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How will Italy’s national public transport strike affect travel on Friday?

Passengers in cities around Italy, including Rome, Milan and Florence, may face delays or cancellations on Friday, September 20th, as local public transport staff plan a 24-hour nationwide walkout.

How will Italy's national public transport strike affect travel on Friday?

The walkout is expected to affect all types of local public transport, from surface services (buses, trams, commuter trains and ferries) to underground metro lines, but shouldn’t affect long-distance rail services and taxis.

As it’s often the case with public transport strikes in Italy, the level of disruption faced by passengers is expected to vary from city to city depending on the number of transport workers participating in the protest.

According to the latest media reports, commuters in major cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice, are all likely to experience at least some level of disruption on Friday, though the strike may also have an impact in smaller cities and towns.

READ ALSO: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in autumn 2024

The protest was called in late June by some of Italy’s largest transport unions to protest against employers’ “unwillingness to open a dialogue on the issues raised by workers” including “a monthly salary increase of 300 euros [and] a reduction of working hours from 39 to 35 per week”.

Guaranteed services

Under national strike laws, public transport companies are required to guarantee the operation of a number of essential services (servizi minimi) during walkouts.

The exact times vary by operator, but usually coincide with peak travel hours.

Milan’s public transport operator ATM said that the strike may affect its trams, buses and metro lines from 8.45am to 3pm, and then from 6pm until end of service.

Services scheduled outside of the above windows should operate as normal.

Rome’s major public transport operator ATAC said in a statement that services scheduled before 8.30am and from 5pm to 8pm will go ahead as normal. 

Venice’s public transport operator ACTV published a list of all the water network services that are guaranteed to go ahead on Friday. The list is available here (in Italian).  

Florence’s bus operator Autolinee Toscane said it will guarantee services scheduled from 4.15am to 8.14am, and then from 12.30pm to 14.29pm.

Gest, which operates a number of tram lines in Florence, said that services will be guaranteed in the following time slots: from 6.30am to 9.30 am, and from 5pm to 8pm.

In Naples, public transport operator EAV published a list of guaranteed services for each of their lines. See their website for further information. 

Tper, which operates buses in the northeastern Emilia Romagna region, said it will guarantee the operation of services scheduled before 8.30am and from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.

For details on guaranteed services in other cities around the country, passengers are advised to check the relevant transport company’s website or social media accounts.

Anyone planning to travel by public transport in Italy on Friday is advised to leave extra time for their journey and check the status of local services with the relevant operator before setting off.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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