Rome seeks to reduce crowds on public transport to allow for social distancing.

Rome is set to draft in private buses in a bid to reduce crowding on the city's public transport network, according to reports in Italian media.

The idea is designed to decongest crowded buses, trams and metro trains to allow for social distancing among passengers to curb the spread of covid-19.

It is expected that private touring buses will be used on routes with fewer passengers, allowing Rome to focus on strengthening the city's busiest lines.

The news comes after the latest Rome city bus burst into flames as the city's public transport network is strained further by a national general strike today, Friday 23 October.

The Lazio region, which has introduced a curfew beginning tonight, registered 1,251 new coronavirus cases on 22 October, of which 623 were recorded in Rome.

Photo credit: Grisha Bruev / Shutterstock.com.