The civil service ministry said
Tuesday it has completed a nationwide count of chauffeured cars
provided to public officials, with 204 local administrations
reporting 1,434 such vehicles in February.
The ministry said the nationwide fleet of such cars was cut
by a third, from 66,619 vehicles in 2014 to 23,203 in 2015.
Civil Service Minister Marianna Madia said in early
February that the government has cut ministry chauffeured cars
by two-thirds, from 159 in 2014 to 59 in 2015.
The ministry had set a February 29 deadline for local
administrations to update their spending data, after which they
would be banned from spending more than 50% of a 2013 cap on
chauffeured car purchases, maintenance, and rentals.
In December, the Lower House budget committee approved an
amendment to the budget bill extending to December 2016 a ban on
the purchase of chauffeured cars by the civil service,
independent authorities, and CONSOB financial markets watchdog
agency.
Premier Matteo Renzi in 2014 announced the plan to
cut the fleet of siren-blaring 'blue cars' which regularly irk
motorists and pedestrians around Italy.
The sleek cars have become an embodiment of what voters see
as the undeserved privileges of government officials and
public-sector managers.
Successive governments have vowed to shrink the fleets,
but the first real drive began in late 2012 amid widespread
voter disenchantment.
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