COVID-19 response in Italy

Italy has been significantly affected by COVID-19. Restrictions on people's mobility and social activities have been in place continuously for more than 2years, between 2020 and 2022, albeit to varying degrees. The transport sector suffered the most in this situation, experiencing a modal shift toward private and active modes as well as an overall decline in ridership and revenue from public transport. In this chapter, we examine the key figures of the disease outbreak in Italy and the country's response, discussing the effects of the choices and trends recorded during different phases of the pandemic. We explore the impacts of COVID-19 response on national and local public transport, presenting the case study of Rome. Finally, we delved into future perspectives for ensuring high quality, sustainable transport options in this difficult sanitary, geopolitical, and economic environment.