trans.info — 2023-04-03
Land transportation
UNATRAS, a coordination unit of Italian transport associations, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Italian government for not taking action to address the critical situation faced by the freight transport industry. The group is worried about the permanent structural issues transport companies face and the recent significant increase in energy costs.
During a meeting held on 2022 December 14th, the participating organizations raised these concerns and requested urgent action from the government. UNATRAS has since noted that no agreed-upon measures have been implemented to help the industry deal with the crisis.
The transport sector is urgently awaiting regulatory measures to allow the full use of the total €285m in funding approved by the budget law and the “aiuti quater” decree, the organisation declares in a press release.
The aforementioned “aiuti quater” (which translates as „fourth aid”) decree refers to a package approved by the Italian government in 2020 December to help support the country’s struggling economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decree includes several measures to provide financial assistance to businesses and individuals affected by the pandemic, including support for the transport sector.
Additionally, the transport sector demands a definitive exemption from contributions to the transport authority (ART), given the approaching deadline of 2023 April 28th.
UNATRAS has also called for effective solutions to address the issue of civil motorization and exceptional transport, the activation of a permanent working group to modify sector rules, and the implementation of proposals to address the shortage of driver personnel. Failure to address these issues risks compromising the operational capacity of businesses and the normal mobility of goods and people, the organisation warns.
In light of the government’s inaction, UNATRAS has announced the sector’s “state of agitation” and widespread discontent. The group has urged the government to take immediate action to provide the much-needed answers businesses have been waiting for.