By Jim Fulcher for Travel Awaits – Portofino, Italy, has been exceedingly popular for decades. In recent years, however, the seaside village has become so crowded during the busy tourist season that its mayor calls the situation “anarchic chaos.”
The problem is that the streets are narrow, and when throngs of tourists stop to take pictures and selfies, the resulting bottleneck creates “problems of fluidity of pedestrian and vehicular circulation,” said Matteo Viacava, the mayor of Portofino, according to Corriere Della Sera, or “Evening Courier,” a newspaper in Milan, Italy.ADVERTISING
The traffic jams and blocked streets, in turn, present “serious obstacles and potential danger deriving from the excessive density of people,” Viacava continued.
Now, to address the situation, Portofino has designated two popular areas as “red zones” or “no-waiting” zones where tourists are prohibited from stopping and lingering. The fine for stopping in those areas can range from 68–275 euros (about $75–$300).
“The objective is not to make the place more exclusive but to allow everyone to enjoy our beauty,” Mayor Viacava said, according to The Independent. “We want to avoid dangerous situations caused by overcrowding.”
The rule, which went into effect over Easter weekend, will be in place until October 15.
