The city has launched a campaign against drivers who invade lanes reserved for buses and taxis.

Special traffic controllers from public transport companies Trambus and Tevere Tpl, will be patrolling streets with bus and taxi lanes around the city until 9 Nov, giving out warnings and fines. The controllers will also be on the lookout for cars parked in such a way as to obstruct traffic, buses and trams in particular.

They return to service between 15 and 21 December, and then for one week every three months in 2009. While the city says the controllers will primarily be issuing warnings, fines for occupying bus lanes should arrive sooner than those issued by regular traffic police, due to the use of hand-held radio devices.

In addition, the city will be replacing the rubber dividers that isolate bus lanes with pliable orange flaps that pose less of a safety risk to automobiles and motorcycles that chance upon them by accident.

The cost of the roadwork comes to a total of