- Title: ITALY: Local transport strike causes chaos and delays for Rome communters
- Date: 2nd March 2012
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 1, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF RAILWAY STATION BUS ARRIVING BUS HEADING TO STATION PEOPLE WAITING AT BUS STOP (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT MARIA TERESA TELLARINI SAYING: "I've just arrived from the Tiburtina station, I knew about this strike, I'm waiting for the bus with the hope of arriving already late to the office, so I hope that for the
- Embargoed: 17th March 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy, Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Politics,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA4L80LUZ3GED6AJUMD247376M1
- Story Text: Commuters across Italy were left without a public transport system on Thursday (March 1) as unions called a four-hour nationwide strike.
Trains, buses and metros were hit by the industrial action called to protest against the austerity measures of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's government.
In the capital, locals trying to reach their workplaces faced delays and long queues.
"I've just arrived from the Tiburtina station. I knew about this strike. I'm waiting for the bus and hoping I'll eventually make it to the office. I'm already late but I hope I won't be delayed much more than half an hour," said local woman Maria Teresa Tellarini.
Commuters described scenes of chaos on the city's underground.
"The situation is that at the moment there is a big chaos. Down there (the underground) there is the world, the people who do not know where to go. It's the third time in a row I come to Rome and there's a strike. I don't know how tourists manage here," said Adriano Oliveri.
While Romans struggled to make it to work on time, for visitors from out of town the strike brought confusion and uncertainty.
Daniele Alori was worried about his journey back home.
"What do I think? I'm surprised I didn't know. Here at Termini (train station) everyone is running around the place, people screaming 'the metro is closed', people were screaming like you have no idea. I'm not from Rome, I'm stuck here, I'm, waiting, don't know what to do. I'm in a real bad situation," he said.
Thursday's transport strike is the last of a series of strikes hitting Italy, while other forms of protest are planned in coming weeks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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