The city council has approved a plan to fuse Rome's three public transport companies, Atac Spa, Met.Ro Spa and Trambus Spa. According to the plan, parent company Atac, which oversees planning and development of Rome's public transport network will absorb operators Met.Ro, which runs the city's metro urban and railway system, and Trambus which runs the city's bus and tram lines.

The city will retain total ownership of the new company, which will continue to operate under the name Atac Spa. Exponents say that combining the three companies into one will cut down on administration costs and boost efficiency. A statement issued by the city transport department said the merger would be complete by 2010.

Meanwhile, the council has also voted down a motion presented by the opposition to freeze ticket prices for two years. While a proposed