Rome public transport on strike from 08.30 until 16.30 on Friday.

The 2022 edition of European Mobility Week got off to a bad start in Rome where dozens of people were locked into a subway station on Friday morning during a public transport strike.

The incident occurred at Cornelia when transport workers locked the gates before passengers on the last subway train had left the station after the eight-hour strike began at 08.30.

Commuters were allegedly trapped underground "for almost 40 minutes" before being released by subway workers, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Rome's municipal transport company ATAC offered its apologies to the passengers and pledged to launch an investigation into the dynamics of the incident.

Friday's nationwide eight-hour strike, which follows varying timetables depending on the city, has been organised by trade unions in response to "the violent and repeated assaults" on public transport workers.

The incident at Cornelia metro station comes the day before Rome makes its buses, subways and trams free for all commuters, on Saturday 17 September, to celebrate European Mobility Week under the theme "Better Connections."