Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino vowed to
fix Rome's chronically dysfunctional public transport system
Friday, announcing a series of measures that range from firing
managers at publicly-held ATAC transport company to seeking
private-sector cash.
The mayor began by offering an apology to Rome commuters
beleaguered by ongoing subway chaos as protests by metro drivers
have slowed trains to a crawl on the hottest days of the year.
"I apologize to citizens and tourists for the unacceptable
(transport) hardships," he said at a city hall conference on
ATAC.
He followed this up by announcing he will replace the ATAC
board of directors and fire managers under whose watch the
city's transport system has degenerated into chaos.
"I have decided to...change the ATAC board and remove all
managers responsible for the inefficiencies," he said.
His next move was to ask transportation city council
member Guido Improta to step down.
"An immediate change of direction is needed," the mayor
said.
"This is why I have asked...Improta to make his resignation
official".
Improta in June said he would quit - a move which at the
time was seen as a sign of impending doom for Marino, whose
council has lost several members in a sweeping corruption probe
into a local mafia of politicians, businessmen and gangsters.
And finally, Marino said the city will be seeking private
partners to buy a minority stake in ATAC as an alternative to
declaring the company bankrupt.
"Beginning today, the city, the region and ATAC commit to
seeking an industrial partner while maintaining a majority
public stake," the mayor said.
The decision was taken jointly with Lazio Governor Nicola
Zingaretti, he added.
"We've given ATAC a mandate to write up a strong and
realistic industrial plan" in order to attract investors, he
said, adding this will bring about "the end of in-house
management beginning in 2019".
"The only other alternative was shutting ATAC down and
taking its books to court," Marino said.
"That would have been the easiest solution".
The mayor went on to say the city has decided to inject
another 200 million euros into the ailing company, in the form
of cash and assets.
"We found a situation that can only be defined as
bankruptcy and unsustainable debt levels," said Marino, who took
office in 2013.
"We tried to restore ATAC to health without filing for
bankruptcy, but this process has not produced the results needed
to sustain the quality of life of those using the public
transport system".
The mayor added the region has agreed to transfer 301
million euros to the city by September 30.
"This is by way of payment of old contributions that had
been denied by right-wing (regional governments) in previous
years," Marino said.
Both the mayor and the governor are from the center-left
Democratic Party of Premier Matteo Renzi.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
