A controversial crackdown on a long-standing practice in Rome is sparking debate between authorities and those who rely on it for income. Visitors like a Texas couple, frustrated by exhausting walking tours, are turning to an informal service that offers quick, convenient transport across landmarks like Piazza Navona. While officials warn the practice risks becoming unmanageable, operators argue they are simply meeting demand for a more efficient way to explore the city. The tension highlights a clash between regulation and the needs of both tourists and local workers.
Authorities crack down on trade they says risks spiralling out of control – but operators say they are being targeted unfairlyOn the edge of Piazza Navona, one of the grandest squares in central Rome, Barry and Linda, visitors from Texas in the US, stepped out of a golf cart. They planned to cross the square on foot, perhaps stopping to admire Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Fountain of the Four Rivers, before being picked up by their driver at the opposite end.The couple had already done a walking tour on day one of their trip, and had been so exasperated by a stifling three-hour shuffle along a corridor towards the Sistine Chapel on day two that by the third day they wanted to give their tired feet a rest. Continue reading...
