Portuense: Bus Lane Sparks Debate as Accidents Rise, Calls for Re-evaluation
Rome, June 17, 2026 – The preferential bus lane on Via Portuense, fully operational since August 3, 2023, has become the subject of renewed controversy following reports of an increase in accidents. The 1.6-kilometer stretch, running from Via Giuseppe Belluzzo to Largo Gaetano La Loggia, has been criticized since its inception by residents, businesses, and opposition parties due to its design, which includes narrowed roadways, alternating protected lanes, and new traffic lights.
Accidents on the Rise: Data Prompts Concern
According to an urgent inquiry filed on May 15 by Marco Palma, a Fratelli d’Italia councilor in Municipio XI, there has been a notable increase in accidents along the Portuense bus lane in 2024 and 2025. Furthermore, the first quarter of 2026 shows a slight increment in both incidents and associated injuries.
“Since 2024, and with the data from the first quarter of 2026, we are seeing a quadrupling of both accidents and injuries. This is an ill-advised choice that, as often happens with the Gualtieri administration on mobility issues, ends up damaging the city,” stated Palma. He further characterized the Portuense bus lane, along with a persistent black spot on the same road, as evidence of policies “far from reality.” Palma concluded by asserting, “On the issue of mobility, the Democratic Party and the center-left have pursued the M5S’s agenda. The Lanzi administration completed the works without lifting a finger. It is time for a re-evaluation of the preferential lane and the entire road network in the area.” The document presented on May 15, 2026, specifically calls for significant modifications to the entire stretch between Via Belluzzo and Largo La Loggia.
Municipal Response: Discrepancies in Data
In response to these concerns, Emiliano Castellino, the Municipal Councilor for Mobility, provided clarification. Castellino stated that the Municipality has been monitoring the impact of the Portuense preferential lane on safety since its activation. He emphasized that “the accident figures circulated in recent weeks, disseminated by Councilor Marco Palma, do not correspond to those we obtained from the Local Police for the year 2025.”
The data held by the Municipal Department for Mobility, according to Castellino, is consistent between the two years or, at most, suggests a very slight increase in the first four months of 2026. “We have therefore asked the Local Police for further feedback, with irrefutable data, to definitively clarify the issue of accidents that have affected the section concerned by the preferential lane,” Castellino added. The Municipality awaits the figures for the next quarter and subsequently for the entire year 2026 to better understand the bus lane’s impact on accidents in that road segment.
Critics point out that the design of the bus lane appears anomalous, featuring sudden constrictions where the protected corridor abruptly ceases only to resume a few dozen meters later. The community awaits the new data that Councilor Castellino has assured will be released soon.
Source: urloweb.com
