Public transport passengers in Rome will get their money back in case of poor service

Rome's public transport company Atac has pledged to reimburse passengers in cases of poor service, Italy's competition authority said on Monday, ending an investigation into the state-owned transport company.

The regulator opened an investigation into Atac in February for "possible unfair trading practices" and suspicions of non-compliance with quality standards during the 2021-2023 period.

The company failed to meet targets for punctuality, the operation of escalators and elevators and the provision of security guards at metro stations, among other things, the regulator said at the time.

The investigation was closed after Atac pledged to provide more than 3 million euros in refunds to holders of annual public transport cards, the regulator said on Monday.

The Italian competition authority also oversees consumer rights.

Atac's CEO, Paolo Aielli, described the regulator's decisions as "an incentive to accelerate the path of change that Atac has undertaken in recent years."

Annual ticket holders for 2024 will receive 5 euros each, and an additional 5 euros will be given to holders of annual public transport tickets in each year between 2021 and 2023, the authority said.

Annual tickets cost 250 euros, excluding discounts.

Atac will also introduce a new mobile app that offers partial refunds to users in the event of delays of more than 15 minutes on regular bus, tram or metro services. Public transport in Rome is known for its inefficiency, but Atac told the regulator it has improved thanks to EU funds after Covid and state funding in preparation for this year's Catholic Holy Year.

The improvements include new buses that are already in service and new trams that will be unveiled soon, Ayeli said.

As part of its commitments, Atac also pledged to hire more staff at metro stations and train existing staff, with an annual investment of 2.6 million euros, the authority said.

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