On November 20, 2024, The Italian hauliers association TrasportoUnito declared a nationwide protest featuring a convoy of slow-moving trucks to take place on December 2, aiming to draw the Government's attention to the serious issues plaguing the Italian road transport industry. The decision came during an assembly held in Casoria, near Naples, and was directed at highlighting the lack of action from Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, who stands accused of failing to address key issues such as sector regulations, the driver shortage, and road safety.
During the meeting, hauliers voiced their dissatisfaction with what they deemed as the Government's inertia, arguing that no effective measures had been taken to improve the outdated regulations governing road transport. The association also pointed out the dire driver shortage, noting that the allocation of five million euros annually for incentives was insufficient compared to the structural changes needed. Road safety, meanwhile, was described as a "neglected guest" in the ministry's actions, with infrastructure conditions continuing to deteriorate.
"It can be said, euphemistically, that the Government, and especially the Transport Minister, have not dedicated sufficient attention to these problems," explained Maurizio Longo, Secretary General of TrasportoUnito. The association emphasized that the decision to stage a visible and concrete protest, through a convoy of slow-moving trucks, was intended to raise public awareness and put pressure on institutions for real solutions. Franco Annunziata, President of TrasportoUnito Naples, concluded by noting, "It is significant that the protest starts in an area of the country where there is a high concentration of small and medium-sized transport companies and where the sector's crisis is hitting particularly hard."
