Rome has opened the first four SOS Rider points, rest and refreshment spaces for delivery workers set up at public libraries. They are the first part of a city project for ten such spaces in different parts of Rome, aimed at people who spend much of their working day on the street. The city aims to complete all installations by December 2026.

Where the points are

The first four points are located at these libraries:

  • Biblioteca Laurentina, Municipality IX
  • Biblioteca Arcipelago, Municipality VIII
  • Biblioteca Vaccheria Nardi, Municipality IV
  • Biblioteca Villa Leopardi, Municipality II

The other six points will be built at the Giovenale, Nicolini, Casa dei Bimbi, Collina della Pace and Raffaello libraries, and at the library in via della Lega Lombarda.

Two types of facility

The project includes two types of facility. Eight points are simple stops with a shelter powered by photovoltaic panels, a column for minor bicycle maintenance and a first aid kit. Two facilities are more fully equipped, with an enclosed space, lockers, tables and benches, and sockets for charging phones. One of these is already in place at Laurentina, and the second will be at the library in via della Lega Lombarda.

Why the city is doing it

The project stems from a resolution approved unanimously by the Capitoline Assembly in 2023, with Erica Battaglia, councillor and chair of the Labour Committee, as first signatory. According to the city, the structures are designed to respond to concrete needs of people who spend a large part of their working day on the street.

Claudia Pratelli, the city’s councillor for School, Training and Labour, said riders work exposed to bad weather, traffic and road risks, often with low wages, precarious conditions and few protections. She said SOS Rider gives a space back to workers who have no workplace, while noting that it does not replace the effort for stronger rights and protections.

Battaglia said the project turns a political choice of the Capitoline Assembly into a network of services. She added that choosing libraries, public facilities spread across the neighbourhoods, reflects a city that makes its own spaces available.

What happens next

With four points operating, six remain to be installed at the libraries listed above, including the second larger facility. The target for completing the full network of ten points is December 2026.