Taxi drivers clash with police in central Rome.

A wildcat strike by Rome taxi drivers has been called off after six days following violent clashes involving protesting cab drivers and street traders on the evening of 21 February.

Rome police baton-charged the demonstrating taxi drivers, who were protesting against an amendment that would lead to the deregulation of the taxi sector, and street traders, who were protesting over the EU Bolkestein directive designed to open up competition within the services sector.

Certain factions of both protesting groups engaged in violence and vandalism outside the central Rome headquarters of the ruling centre-left Partito Democratico on Via del Tritone.

The cab drivers claim that deregulation of their sector would favour multinational app-based car transport companies such as Uber.

The amendment, contained in the so-called Milleproroghe decree, is currently before parliament and has already been passed by the senate.

The Rome taxi drivers' return to work coincides with a four-hour strike by the capital's public transport company ATAC on the morning of 22 February.

Photo Tgcom24.