Italy: Taxi drivers go on strike demanding liberalizing of license

Nearly 4,000 taxi drivers occupied Rome's historic Piazza Venezia, and travelers landing at the Leonardo da Vinci airport had to use trains and buses to get into the capital, according to Italian news agencies.

Photo: Italy: Taxi drivers go on strike demanding liberalizing of license

Other cities where taxis stopped service included Turin, the northern port of Genova and Naples.

Taxi drivers had already created turmoil in Italy's major cities earlier this month to protest the measures passed by the government last week.

The liberalization package, proposed by Industry Minister Pierluigi Bersani, would make it easier and cheaper for people to get a license to drive a taxi. The drivers' fears center on the increased competition, according to the AP.

The latest strikes broke out after talks to work out compromise measures broke down Thursday night.