My Home Sweet Rome – The Blog

Rome’s current mayor, Ignazio Marino, is not popular, except perhaps among some city planners and archeologists. He has angered merchants for closing several key streets around the Colosseum to traffic; he has been unable to get rid of illegal vendors, has failed in keeping the city clean and in improving public transport. Now he will have a new group of enemies. The thousands of Romans who rely on motorbikes and motorcycles to get around the city and have business downtown..

Yesterday, it was announced that the new rules barring the vehicles of non-residents to the area known as the Tridente (see map) will also apply to non-residents on two-wheels. So if you are delivering a package, visiting a friend, or shopping, you will have to park on the outskirts of the very central, downtown area that stretches from Piazza del Popolo to Via del Tritone and includes Piazza di Spagna and the shopping streets around it.

Until now, here in Rome motorini have always enjoyed a special status since they are allowed to enter the entire downtown area even during times when only residents and people who have paid for special passes are permitted.  Now they will be excluded from the Trident during the day six days a week,  unless of course they can prove they live there.

By the way, typical of life in Rome, the new Tridente traffic rules go into effect tomorrow but most residents are still without their promised passes. What else is new?