The urgency of increasing taxi licenses and returning to the Draghi agenda on reforms and liberalisations

The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, regarding the limitations imposed on the number of NCC licenses in Barcelona, ​​opens the door to possible changes to the non-scheduled mobility sector, also in Italy

The non-scheduled mobility sector, i.e. taxis and rental with driver (NCC), could undergo important changes in the near future. The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, regarding the limitations imposed on the number of NCC licenses in Barcelona, ​​opens the door to possible changes to the sector also in Italy. Indeed, the Court’s decision expresses a very clear position, which is the one that limitations on the number of licenses are not possible if the justification is to maintain the value of the license itself. The sector in Italy has serious shortcomings, as demonstrated especially in this period by the difficulties in many cities in being able to find adequate availability of taxis. Off-line mobility has changed almost all over the world with the arrival of platforms that with the help of technology and additional offer have allowed a great leap in the quality of urban mobility. This happens not only in the United States, but also in India, Southeast Asia and Africa, but not in Italy where licenses are very poor and where alternative services are severely limited. Regardless of what the Court of Justice affirmed, political decision-makers should revolutionize the service in order to give citizens more choices of mobility.