Sign of the times: Rome welcomes its first female traffic cop to work atop podium

Cristina Corbucci is the first female traffic controller to stand on the retractable podium in Rome's famous Piazza Venezia

Romans greeted with joy the return of the traditional white-gloved traffic cop, who rises from a podium in Piazza Venezia to elegantly direct the vehicles coming from three directions around them. Now they've welcomed a break from the past after Cristina Corbucci, the first female traffic controller to stand on the platform, made her debut this week.

I think it's fantastic, and it's about time," said Giuliana Cazzarolli as she watched the officers switch shifts on Thursday. I hope she's well paid."