The surface metro, which is expected to come into operation in the first months of 2025, “will bring about a revolution not only in the mobility system of the capital, but also in the lifestyles and habits of citizens and those who frequent Catanzaro for work, for study or for health care”. The mayor of Catanzaro stated this in a note: Nicola Fiorita.
“The battle for the completion of the work, and of this, has been won I have no hesitation in giving credit to President Occhiuto, the designers, the management of the works and the workers, now the challenge shifts to the sustainability of the system and the new structure of mobility and parking. We will have to work as a real team: the Municipality, the AMC, the Region, the Calabria Railways, Trenitalia, everyone will have to do their part in this delicate and complex puzzle which could bring about a great turning point in the life of the capital. Before briefly delving into the merits of the issues we will have to address, I would like to thank the President of the Region Roberto Occhiuto who defended the financing of the work and gave considerable impetus to the works, assisted by its managers, the designers and the management of the works, and the companies that were involved in the delicate construction. I don’t want to forget who conceived and started this work, like the mayor Rosario Olivo and the president of the Region Agazio Loieroand all those who have played a role in these long years.”
Redesigning the AMC service in an intermodal key
“It is absolutely necessary to redesign the AMC service in an intermodal key, especially the Piè Sala-Piazza Roma funicular, but also with the aim of better exploiting the potential of the metro. Let me explain myself better with an example. Since the rail will cover with the main Centre-Lido route with lines A and B is highly effective and useful, some of the current lines could be more profitably moved to serve other districts, which are currently less served, and other needs of the AMC will have to be linked to the service offered by the metro, in order to guarantee a fast and more punctual connection to every corner of the city. I hope that in the next few weeks, the technicians of AMC and Ferrovie della Calabria will meet to perfect this. new system”.
The sustainability of the metro and AMC
“The entry into operation of the metro will pose the primary problem of the sustainability of the system, but also of the economic consequences it will have on the coffers of the AMC from which many travelers will predictably be deprived who will prefer the speed and punctuality of the trains. How many passengers will it have to carry the metro daily to be economically sustainable? Obviously we cannot make comparisons with a metro like the one in Brescia, which takes on 40,000 travelers a day. These numbers are very far from our reality, but it is clear that it will be necessary focus on significant figures that the experts will indicate to us, we will have to think about how to “compensate” the AMC for the lower income”.
Integrated single ticket, benefits and communication campaign
“We must help citizens to change their habits and therefore to use the metro to reach Sala, Santa Maria, Pistoia, the Fortuna district, especially Lido and vice versa, but also to get to the university campus with its polyclinic and the regional citadel, as well as at the Germaneto RFI station. To do this we will have to think about the single integrated ticket that allows citizens to use both the metro and the AMC buses and the funicular without further costs commuters who come from the province for certified work reasons. Finally, I will suggest that the Region starts with a massive communication campaign that explains to all Calabrians the advantages of using the metro, including the environmental ones with the reduction of emissions into the air single integrated system, management of advertising spaces and communication campaigns could be managed in tandem or in a consortium form by AMC and Ferrovie della Calabria”.
Art in the stations
“As has happened in other Italian cities that boast a metro, the stations – which have been completely renovated – will be able to host works of art, in particular murals or other installations. I will propose to the Region and the Calabria Railways to hold a competition of ideas for artists who want to try their hand at this operation which will make stopping at the stations more colorful and cheerful”.