Student transport crisis affects 150 families near Calabria-Basilicata border

Approximately 150 families living on the border between Calabria and Basilicata are facing significant transportation difficulties for students traveling to high schools in Maratea. The crisis stems from the permanent closure of a section of the Ss 18 highway in the Castrocucco area due to a landslide.

While Anas constructed a 4-kilometer bypass to circumvent the dangerous area, the new route is a single-lane road regulated by traffic lights that cannot accommodate large public transport buses due to weight and length restrictions. Consequently, students from municipalities such as Tortora and Praia a Mare must take a detour via the Ss 585 Fondovalle del Noce through Trecchina, adding roughly 25 minutes to travel times and causing 15-minute delays in school arrivals.

Proposed solutions face significant hurdles. One option involves obtaining a limited exemption to use the closed Ss 18, but authorities cite high costs—approximately 110,000 euros per month for landslide monitoring—and substantial legal liabilities. Another alternative, using eight smaller buses capable of navigating the bypass, is considered economically unsustainable by the transport company due to increased fuel and staffing costs.