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Italian Taxi drivers renewed the strike in the middle of July 2006 right after talks more than government plans to deregulate the sector ,causing chaos in many cities.

The drivers staged a variety of forms of protests, besieging major squares, deliberately snarling traffic, blocking access to a number of airports and organizing go-slow drives, neighborhood media reported.

In Rome, the drivers descended on central Piazza Venezia, the city center of Rome, soon soon after midnight right after taxi unions abandoned the negotiating table.

They remained there all through the night and forced nearby authorities to close the square off to visitors.

Some 60 other taxis took element in a go-slow drive from the city's principal airport to the city and back once again, causing further issues.

The protests were replicated in Naples, Turin, Genoa and Milan, exactly where drivers blocked access to the city airport.

Italian Financial Improvement Minister who drew up the bill contested by the drivers, said that "they (the taxi drivers) do not personal the city."

The matter of controversy is a government decree that intends to liberalize taxi licensing and break the virtual monopoly status of local taxi federations.

This decree orders municipal administrations to improve the quantity of taxi licenses issued and give out short-term permits during predictably busy periods.

A single of the most controversial aspects is a measure which would have permitted private firms to enter the sector by acquiring licenses and then hiring their personal drivers.

Taxi licenses in Rome are regarded as private property by their holders, who trade them on when they retire or pass them on to their youngsters. The practice has developed a grey market place in which the cost of a permit can reach as higher as 200,000 euros (about 240,000 U.S. dollars).

Italy's 40,000-strong fleet of taxis is the smallest in Europe. According to official statistics, there are two.1 taxis per thousand inhabitants in Rome compared to eight.three in London and 9.9 in Barcellona.

The quantity of taxis operating in Rome is five,820, compared to a lot more than 61,000 in London, virtually 43,000 in New York and 17,000 in Paris, the report said.

Complaints from residents and vacationers over the difficulty in finding taxis throughout peak hours and at evening have shot up in recent years, with taxi drivers accused of deliberately restricting the number of automobiles available in order to safeguard their earnings and the values of their licenses.Fur Pet Care 1712 Riverside Drive, #237 Austin, TX 78741 512-660-7919 http://furpetcare.com open in a new browser