- Title: ITALY: ROME TO TAME TEENAGE SCOOTER DRIVERS.
- Date: 26th June 2004
- Summary: (U7) ROME, ITALY (RECENT - JUNE 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF SCOOTERS PASSING BY COLOSSEUM 2. VARIOUS OF SCOOTERS IN ROME'S HECTIC TRAFFIC 3. VARIOUS OF PHOTO OF MAN AND FLOWERS ALONG A ROME STREET FOR ROAD VICTIMS 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MARIOLINA MOIOLI, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF EDUCATION MINISTRY, SAYING: "Without a doubt, the lives of our young people are extremely important for our nation, but it is extremely important for us all. The high figures of road accidents, also fatal ones, convinced the government to introduce a driving certificate for scooters." 5. VARIOUS OF A COURSE CONDUCTED IN A PRIVATE DRIVING SCHOOL, WITH STUDENTS LISTENING AND TEACHER EXPLAINING 6. VARIOUS OF PARKED SCOOTERS 7. VARIOUS OF TEENAGERS RIDING SCOOTERS 8. VARIOUS OF SHOWROOM OF ITALIAN SCOOTER MAKER PIAGGIO 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DANIELE SERAFINI, SALES MANAGER, PIAGGIO SAYING: "Sales in May dropped by around 32 percent compared to May 2003 so this convinced us in trying to help our clients go about obtaining this mini-licence." 10. VARIOUS OF SCOOTERS IN HECTIC TRAFFIC 11. TEENAGERS ENTERING GATE OF HIGH SCHOOL 12. VARIOUS OF TEENAGERS DOING TEST FOR MINI-LICENCE INSIDE CLASSROOM 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FABIO SAYING: "It's ridiculous and it's a waste of time. Also, I was lucky because I did the course at school, therefore I didn't pay. But, if I had to have gone to a driving school and pay 120-130 euros, it would have been a different story." 14. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CHIARA SAYING: "Perhaps the commitment to the course is a little heavy-going, but at the end of the day it's useful, as opposed to riding a scooter without understanding the road signs. Yes, I think it's useful." 15. PERSON STARTING UP A VESPA 16. VARIOUS OF SCOOTERS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA5AADV8RHY6Q8644TAYRZE1CTB
- Story Text: The end of an era has arrived for carefree
14-year-old Italians who for generations have been allowed
to drive a scooter without so much as a permit or a driving
lesson.
The sight of adolescents buzzing around on their
scooters is as quintessentially Italian as pizza and pasta
-- as are the daily reports of teenagers killed after
speeding or running a red light in Rome's hectic traffic.
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers now face the
prospect of having to park their beloved Vespas from July 1
or pay a fine of more than 500 euros ($604) if they are
caught without the mini-licence.
Currently anybody is allowed to drive a scooter with an
engine of 50 cc from the age of 14 without a licence.
Deaths in road accidents in Italy have halved in the
last three decades to around 12 in every 100,000 people a
year but the rate of fatalities in the 15-29 age group has
barely changed.
"Without a doubt, the lives of our young people are
extremely important for our nation, but it is extremely
important for us all," said Mariolina Moioli, director
general of the Education Ministry, who dreams of bringing
civilisation to Italy's chaotic streets.
"The high figures of road accidents, also fatal ones,
convinced the government to introduce a driving certificate
for scooters," Moioli said.
Some 700,000 teenagers have registered for the
mini-licence courses in schools but not all schools have
offered the classes or tests.
A number of private driving schools have stepped in
offering 20-hour courses. But, as opposed to the school
courses which are free of charge, the private schools are
asking an average of 150 euros which, some say, makes it
prohibitive for a number of students.
Scooter maker Piaggio, worried about the impact on
sales, has offered to pay the fees at private driving
schools for clients under 18 who buy a new scooter during
the summer months when schools are closed.
The company said 14 to 17-year-olds were expected to
buy around 35,000 50 cc scooters from May to July and
already around 4,000 had registered to take advantage of
the offer of free lessons.
"Sales in May dropped by around 32 percent compared to
May 2003 so this convinced us in trying to help our clients
go about obtaining this mini-licence," said Daniele
Serafini, a sales manager for Piaggio in Rome.
As schools close down for the summer holidays, one high
school in Rome's heart has continued to stay open and
conduct tests in an effort to help students obtain their
mini-licence before the July 1 deadline.
But, students are divided over whether the new licence
is a good thing.
"It ridiculous and it's a waste of time. Also, I was
lucky because I did the course at school, therefore I
didn't pay. But, if I had to have gone to a driving school
and pay 120-130 euros, it would have been a different
story," said 17-year-old Fabio.
"Perhaps the commitment to the course is a little
heavy-going, but at the end of the day it's useful, as
opposed to riding a scooter without understanding the road
signs. Yes, I think it's useful," said 15-year-old Chiara
on her way out from the test.
Motor organisations have also complained that there has
been insufficient time to complete the courses and the
tests.
But, Transport Minister Pietro Lunardi has said he
opposes any change in the July 1 deadline saying that it
will be the parents who thank him for this decision.
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