Signal No. HM-RE021
The Daily WTF
Rome's buses catch fire so often that Romans named it
Rome, Italy
ReportedDear Mamdani, in most cities, when a bus is on fire, it is news. In Rome, it has a nickname.
Romans call it Flambus. In July 2025, a bus on its way back to the depot caught fire on Via Flaminia Nuova. It was empty and nobody was hurt. Three weeks earlier, a hybrid bus had done the same on Via Prenestina.
The operator said the fire had no consequences for anyone and only affected the vehicle. The vehicle declined to comment.
Rome is the Eternal City. We would like to request that the buses aim for something a little less eternal and a little more reliable.
The facts
- On 22 July 2025, an empty ATAC bus caught fire on Via Flaminia Nuova in Rome while returning to the depot. Nobody was injured.
- ATAC said the 12-metre bus had been in service since 2013, and that the fire "had no consequences for anyone and only affected the vehicle".
- About three weeks earlier, a hybrid bus caught fire on Via Prenestina.
- Romans use the word "Flambus" ironically for city buses catching fire. Wanted in Rome cited poor maintenance and ageing vehicles as factors.
Sources
Send this to someone who has the same problem
Report this signal by email if something in it is wrong or unfair.