The editorial. All the mistakes of the taxi crisis in Ischia.

The Ischia taxi drivers' protest is a story riddled with mistakes. We can all agree on this, regardless of individual positions or differing points of view.

Let's start with the first mistake, that of Mayor Enzo Ferrandino. Ferrandino's handling of the situation was flawed at the outset, not during. The mistake consisted in publishing on the public noticeboard the ordinance ordering the removal of parking spaces near Piazza Antica Reggia. This move was the spark that ignited the protests, especially given the time between publication and its entry into force, which only served to further fuel the tension.

We would have expected a more cunning move: wait for the ordinance's effective date and proceed with a "surgical" operation, as Luigi Boccanfuso did with the "yellow lines" on the Riva Destra, having the parking spaces removed and the pole already removed. It would have been a more abrupt move, but it would likely have kept tempers less heated.

Let's now turn to the taxi drivers' mistakes, which—in my opinion—are at least twofold: one political and one strategic. Let's start with the strategic one. The protest, as organized, is symptomatic of a poorly thought-out and improvised decision, both in terms of permits and procedures. It would have been more appropriate to organize a protest according to traditional standards, as has been done in the past, avoiding the impulses and frenzy of those seeking only cameras and visibility. A protest conducted at institutional meetings, rather than with cars circling the city hall, would have avoided inconvenience to both users and the operators themselves, perhaps achieving more concrete goals. With a bit of composure, the taxi drivers could have (and still could) sought the support of a lawyer to challenge Ferrandino's order before the Regional Administrative Court (TAR). This would have been a mature approach, which would also have protected the category from the widespread—unfortunately, not positive—feelings that the community often harbors toward taxi drivers.

The other mistake is political. Anyone who knows our area well knows that the two spaces eliminated in Piazza Antica Reggia are only about twenty meters from the parking lot in the former Jolly car park. They also know that, despite the size and available spaces, a long queue of taxis still forms during rush hour. Anyone who knows Ischia well also knows that that stretch of Via Alfredo De Luca—from Piazza Antica Reggia to the intersection with San Ciro—is a sort of "free zone," where many irregularities are tolerated.

Someone wiser than the one masquerading as "our Masaniello" should have advised the industry to take a more thoughtful approach. Beyond legal action, a different, less confrontational approach would have been desirable, especially considering the Ferrandino administration's notorious permeability. Perhaps a solution could have been brokered: moving the taxi stalls a few meters, a strategic move that would have satisfied both the administration's and the industry's needs.

The protest, predictably, has only hardened positions and distanced the parties. It will now be difficult to reverse course, at least in the short term. Out of pride, to defend decisions already made, and because no one wants to back down.