What will really change for taxis and airplanes after the government decree?
News on planes, taxis and former Alitalia workers from the decree approved by the government. Here are facts, issues, and insights
News on planes, taxis and former Alitalia workers.
The chapter on transport contained in the omnibus decree approved yesterday by the council of ministers is substantial.
Regarding ticket prices, there is concern about the real impact (as well as the effective practicability) of the government measures, while on taxis the expectations of taxi drivers opposed to the cumulation of licenses have been accepted.
Here are facts and insights.
THE MEASUREMENT ON AIR TICKET PRICES
The decree law entered yesterday in the Council of Ministers prohibits the dynamic fixing of tariffs, based on the booking period, if three conditions are jointly met: if they are applied on national routes with the islands; if this occurs in a peak demand period due to seasonality or during a national state of emergency; if the sale price of the ticket or ancillary services is 200% above the average flight fare.
THE WORDS OF URSO
Furthermore – underlines Il Sole 24 ore – for connections with the islands or during emergency situations, as explained by the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, the use of the algorithm to determine the rates based on the user's web profile or on the type of electronic devices used for bookings, if this involves an economic burden for the passenger.
WHO DECIDES WHAT ABOUT AIRLINE TICKETS
Another provision concerns cases of territorial continuity when therefore public service obligations are imposed: the draft of the Legislative Decree reaffirms the principle that it is up to the competent administration to fix the maximum tariff level practicable by the airlines, where the risk emerges that the tariff dynamics may produce a significant increase due to seasonality or extraordinary events, indicating it in the tender notice as an objective requirement of the offer.
CRITICISM FROM SECTOR ASSOCIATIONS
Criticisms of the government's measures have been received from the representatives of the airlines Ibar and Assaereo, convinced that "the conditions for an emergency decree are not met": they complain about the absence of a "preventive comparison to identify less punitive solutions for the sector", considering the draft of the Legislative Decree "in contrast with European standards", the article 22 of the EC Regulation 1008/2008 which allows carriers to freely fix the tariffs. Low-cost airlines are also on the rise, according to Aicalf: "The rules on expensive flights would create a dangerous precedent for a sector whose liberalization has brought enormous benefits to citizens".
MEASURES IN FAVOR OF FORMER ALITALIA WORKERS
The same decree deals with former Alitalia workers, extending the Cigs expiring at the end of the year, for the period from 1 January to 31 October 2024 "not further extendable". The integration of the sector solidarity fund is envisaged to bring Cigs treatment to 60% of the reference gross salary in 2024, but a monthly amount limit of 2,500 euros is introduced. Furthermore, from 1 September 2023, the extraordinary salary integration treatment is not due from the date on which the first right to the old-age pension accrues.
THE RE-EMPLOYMENT OF ALITALIA WORKERS
With an incentive, the aim is to encourage the re-employment of Alitalia and Alitalia Cityliner workers: in the event of employment with a permanent contract from 1 January to 31 October 2024, granting private employers total exemption for a maximum of 36 months from the payment of social security contributions at their expense, within the limit of 6 thousand euros per year.
GOVERNMENT NEWS FOR TAXI
Government-union compromise on taxis. The cumulation of licenses with no expiration date skips but the experimental one of temporary licenses passes, "in the face of exceptional events", confessed Minister Adolfo Urso in the press conference: "With the package of measures on taxis we think we have given an initial immediate response and relevant to the emergency”.
THE CRITICISM OF THE TAXI DRIVERS ON THE DRAFT OF THE MEASURE
The category saw the possibility of accumulating licenses to drive cars as smoke and mirrors, a rule that was intended to expand the market and strengthen the number of white cars in cities. For the union, the possibility of issuing a second authorization to those who already exercise by amending law 21/92 has "the real objective of dismantling the public taxi service, to provide cars and drivers at the service of the new illegal hiring managed by multinationals".
“If the concept that it can have two or more passes, it is not good – said Alessandro Genovese of Ugl Taxi yesterday – we see it as a Trojan horse”.
THE COMMENT OF THE SOLE 24 ORE
One of the two legs of the reform signed by ministers Urso and Salvini is cut and resized, even if it was the most innovative and disruptive because it pulled down once and for all the bulwark that has always regulated the taxi sector in Italy: i.e. that each car corresponds to a licence, remarked Il Sole 24 Ore .
WHAT IS REALLY CHANGING FOR TAXI?
It changes very little, in essence. In fact, the reform approved by the Council of Ministers provides for what is already granted to local authorities, Il Sole 24 Ore underlines: “That is, the possibility for municipalities and local authorities to issue additional licenses to new drivers. Perhaps, however, as a result of the moral suasion of the decree, it will give impetus and support to the mayors to open the tenders. In particular, the decree contains the provision whereby metropolitan cities, capitals and municipalities hosting international airports can announce the extraordinary competition, up to an increase of 20% compared to existing licenses, open to new operators, "with a faster procedure , certain and simplified, compared to the pre-existing regulatory framework". The additional authorization packages will in any case be linked to the availability, for the holder, of an electric or hybrid vehicle".
TIME LICENSES FOR TAXI
If the accumulation of "indefinite" licenses has been eliminated, the option of time-limited ones has not been. In the event of tourist flows and other exceptional events, the Municipalities will be able to issue taxi drivers with a package of temporary licenses for up to 12 months and which can be extended for another year. These licenses "can be issued in favor of subjects who already hold licences, who can then exploit them by entrusting them even for consideration to third parties as long as they meet the requirements", reads a note from the ministry.
In addition to the simplification for the authorizations for dual driving, the text also provides for an intervention for the renewal of the most polluting cars. By resorting to the Fund set up at Mimit, the eco-bonus is expected to double (for an electric car with scrapping, the bonus could reach 10 thousand). One measure, the only one, also extended to NCCs, for the rest excluded from the restructuring of the sector. For them, the time horizon will perhaps be the decree converting the provision, the theater and Parliament.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/decreto-omnibus-taxi-aerei-cosa-cambia/ on Tue, 08 Aug 2023 06:22:43 +0000.