Commuters and visitors to the central Italian region of Umbria should prepare for a full-day bus strike on Tuesday, 22 September. Drivers and maintenance staff employed by Busitalia—Ferrovie dello Stato’s bus subsidiary—plan to down tools for 24 hours in a dispute over staffing levels and vehicle safety standards. The strike will hit urban and suburban routes in Perugia, Terni, Assisi and surrounding towns just as schools settle into the new academic year. Under Italian law, operators must guarantee minimum services during the morning (06:00-09:00) and early-afternoon (12:00-15:00) peaks, but outside those windows buses may be scarce. The regional tourism board is urging travellers to rely on rail where possible and to check real-time updates on the Umbria Mobilità app. Taxi cooperatives in Perugia report a 40 percent increase in pre-bookings for airport transfers to Sant’Egidio Airport. For employers with field staff or assignees in Umbria, contingency measures include ride-sharing allowances and flexible-work arrangements. Universities hosting international students are circulating guidance on alternative transport and reminding non-EU nationals that prolonged absence from classes could affect visa conditions. The dispute underscores the fragility of Italy’s regional public-transport funding model. Bus unions argue that chronic underinvestment has produced an ageing fleet—average vehicle age is 12 years in Umbria versus the EU average of eight—raising both safety and environmental concerns. With €700 million in EU post-pandemic recovery funds earmarked for green transport, the strike is partly aimed at accelerating procurement of low-emission buses.
Source: The Local Italy
