Tourist boom on four wheels in Rome

According to the latest data from TripAdvisor, interest in golf cart tours in the Italian capital has increased by as much as 147 percent this summer compared to 2024. There are already up to 500 such vehicles circulating around the historic center. For many tourists, it is an ideal way to sightsee - without exhaust fumes, noise and parking problems.

However, the tourist idyll is a real problem for residents and representatives of traditional transport. Golf carts block sidewalks, bus stops and narrow streets that are the hallmark of Rome.

Taxi drivers do not hide their frustration - in their opinion, electric vehicles take away customers and constitute unfair competition. The trolley operators refute the accusations, claiming that they are an ecological alternative to combustion buses that destroy monuments.

The city authorities no longer intend to tolerate lawlessness. In the second half of August, the police began intensive inspections - strollers are stopped, and drivers and passengers must take into account a thorough verification of documents.

The penalties are severe: illegal transport or lack of a guide's license may result in fines of up to EUR 4,000, i.e. approximately PLN 17,000. Additionally, the vehicle may be withdrawn from traffic for even more than a month.

Eugenio Patanè, deputy mayor of Rome for sustainable mobility, announces the introduction of new regulations.