from Italy
WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from South Korea
ITALY’S TAXI CRISIS: LONG WAITS, POWERFUL LOBBIES, LITTLE CHANGE
Italian taxi services in Italy are facing widespread critic- ism from residents and tourists alike, with long queues and interminable waiting times becoming common-place, especially in major cities. “Chaos” is how Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera described the situation in June 2023, citing “extremely long queues at stations and airports” and “endless waiting times on the phone.” Nearly two years later, the problem persists. Cities such as Naples haven’t issued new taxi licences since 1997, while Genoa and Livorno haven’t done so since the late 1970s. Rome, despite a recent “historic” public tender, hasn’t issued licences since 2004. Compared to other European capitals, Italian cities have significantly fewer taxis per capita: London has 106 taxis per 10,000 residents while Rome has c. 35. The root of the issue lies in the powerful Italian taxi driver associations, described by Matteo Hallisey of the +Europa party as having an “ability to paralyse politics.” These lobbies have successfully blocked attempts to issue new licences and open the sector to competition, even resorting to protests and violence. Some political commentators even refer to the taxi lobby as a “mafia.” While Italy’s competition watchdog opened an investigation in 2023, it resulted only in non-legally- binding recommendations. Although Rome and Milan have announced plans to issue new licences, experts argue it’s too little, too late. Nicola Zaccheo, president of Italy’s transport regulation authority ART, believes Rome needs “over 2,000” additional cabs, while Andrea Giuricin, a transport economics professor, states Milan’s 450 new licences “are not enough.” Furthermore, the current Italian government is unlikely to support deregulation of the taxi sector. Deputy PM Matteo Salvini has previously sided with taxi drivers, implementing stringent rules for private hire vehicles. The situation leaves many wondering when, or if, Italy’s taxi crisis will be resolved.
PHTM MAY 2025
TAXI COUPLE HELPS NAB $266,000 VOICE PHISHING SUSPECT
A taxi-driving couple in Gyeonggi province, South Korea, played a crucial role in the arrest of a voice phishing money collector attempting to steal a substantial 380 million won (£200,000). The Seoul Gangdong Police Precinct lauded the couple’s quick thinking and collaboration, awarding them a letter of appreciation and a reward. The husband and wife, both taxi drivers, became unexpectedly involved on March 19 when they each picked up the same suspicious passenger within a short timeframe. The wife first encountered the man in his 60s around 2pm. While en route, she received a call from her husband who informed her he had just dropped off an odd passenger who had taken a very brief ride. He then noticed the same individual enter her taxi just five minutes later. Sharing details over the phone, the wife confirmed the passenger’s description matched the man in her cab. As they continued driving, the passenger abruptly changed his destination repeatedly asking for the estimated arrival time while exhibiting nervousness. Growing increasingly suspicious, the wife instructed her husband to call the police. Acting swiftly on this information, officers appre- hended the passenger on a street in eastern Seoul. Subsequent investigations revealed the passenger was en route to deliver 380 million won in cashier’s checks obtained from a voice phishing victim. The scammers had impersonated government officials in a fraudulent scheme involving fake card deliveries. The passenger was arrested and charged. Authorities successfully recovered the cashier’s checks and returned them to the victim. Kim Byung-joo, chief of the Gangdong Police Precinct, praised the couple’s actions, stating: “This was a very rare case where a couple worked together to catch a voice phishing criminal and prevent high- value damage. We sincerely thank them for their courage and for taking the risk to call us.”
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