Fiumicino, new rules for cabs and NCCs. Anarchy outside Europe's best airport finally ends
Europe's best airport has a big problem, which is what happens once you step outside the airport doors. [...]
FCO
The best airport in Europe has a big problem, or what happens once you step outside the airport gates. Over the years there have been plenty of reports of scams against passengers, fights between drivers and squatters on the hunt for chickens to pluck, now all this seems set to end thanks to the new ENAC ordinance.
The new ENAC ordinance for Fiumicino
In this article:
The second ordinance should be the good one since, unlike what happened in December, this time there is also the approval of the white car associations.
New rules set stakes for self-driving cars, i.e., NCCs, who will have dedicated stalls and can pick up the passenger only under certain conditions. DASPO is introduced for squatters chasing passengers in the arrivals area, that is, squatters caught at work will be barred from approaching the Roman stopover just as ultras are barred from approaching stadiums.
The most important part, however, concerns the new ways for tourists and non-tourists to arrive at their destination without any problems since the assignment of the cab to the passenger will be automatic, by booking the ride through special totems.
So goodbye to the option of passenger/runner choice for the driver since on the receipt the traveler will receive will be the driver assignment, the cost of the ride, and the waiting time for the cab to arrive. Impossible for white cars to swap between passengers because, at close quarters, it will be the totem's QR that will make the airport bars open. This will ensure that the passenger has taken the assigned cab.
Obviously, there are strict penalties and rules to avoid ploys and barbs by drivers, for the peace of mind of all passengers.
What's happening in the rest of the world
Who thinks that the phenomenon of squatters is an all-Italian or "Latin" thing is wrong. From Berlin to New York the whole world is a country. Of course there are places where I have never been approached by these characters, but they are very few.
The same goes for the complaints of taxi drivers, certainly not at the level of those in Italy. Often sleeping in the hotels near the airport I often take a cab to a hotel, and sometimes I have carped about the disappointment at the short duration of the ride.
Certainly Italy is distinguished by the absence of all modes of transportation alternatives such as Uber, and other apps that allow passengers in the rest of the world to travel without any stress or fear.
Being able to use these services not only shortens wait times and saves the passenger money by being able to check different quotes for various services, but most importantly it offers greater security by having tracking through the app and association with the certain driver.
However, this is another matter and is not the subject of ENAC.
