Rome Prepares Regulatory Crackdown on Proliferating Golf Carts in Historic Center

ROME — Amid the grandeur of its ancient monuments and archaeological treasures, Rome is targeting a distinctly modern nuisance: the golf cart.

Hundreds of these vehicles now ferry tourists through the historic center, and despite their moderate speeds, they have so far evaded proper regulation. The city is now preparing a major crackdown.

Critics contend the carts are running wild, parking illegally, exacerbating traffic congestion, and contributing to the broader problem of overtourism. Local media outlets have employed dramatic language, describing it as an “invasion” and claiming Rome is being “held hostage by golf carts.”

Proponents counter that the carts are quiet, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and do not emit exhaust that stains historic monuments.

The Associated Press experienced the tension firsthand during a late August excursion when a black, eight-seater van pulled alongside.

“You’re in the middle of the road!” the van driver shouted. “Move it!”

“Always the same! The road isn’t yours!” the golf cart driver replied. Both gesticulated angrily with their free hands, following a long-standing Roman traffic tradition.

These carts navigate Rome’s cobblestone alleyways, passing tourists enjoying pasta at checkered tablecloths and shops selling calendars featuring clergy and tote bags bearing clichéd Italian phrases. But there is little time for shopping during these tours—the itinerary focuses on hitting Rome’s highlights in rapid succession, at least until they encounter authorities.

Ruth Sanderson from Manchester, England, surprised her husband with such a tour for his birthday during their first visit to Rome. They were able to see the major attractions in three hours and “just potter around” for the remainder of their short stay, said Sanderson, 50.

Their guide circled the basilica where Pope Francis is buried, then proceeded to the Spanish Steps, where he parked in an area designated exclusively for car-sharing—the first of several illegal spots he secured.

“We don’t have a proper stop for golf carts, so we park where we can—as legally as possible,” driver Martin Halili explained.

Even before the golf cart surge, parking presented significant challenges. Cars, vans, scooters and motorcycles occupy curbs, crosswalks and medians. Trucks double-park while unloading.

Every available space is claimed in Rome’s historic center, where only 4,300 regular on-street parking spots exist—approximately one-quarter the number of vehicles owned by area residents, according to the city’s transport chief, citing a field survey conducted last year. Additionally, an average of 50,000 vehicles enter daily. Unsurprisingly, many residents are frustrated.

“This was the last straw because, unfortunately, traffic congestion has existed here for a long time, since there are too many categories of vehicles authorized,” Luigi la Licata, head of the Monti neighborhood association, told the AP. “The golf cart is the most obvious one—and the latest—but there are many others.”

Golf cart bookings this summer surged 147% compared to 2024, according to TripAdvisor, whose subsidiary Viator is the largest source of passengers. Rome has as many as 500 carts, with one-fifth belonging to the Metur association of tour operators, established last December to negotiate with residents and city officials.

“Overtourism is a real problem, and we’re not denying it. And maybe we’re also part of it in a way. But if we’re part of it, then at least be part of it in a smart way,” Pascal van Duijnhoven, the association’s president, said. “We believe, especially for Rome, that it’s a solution. And we really hope that people start looking at it like this. But we need a hand. We need some help from the authorities.”

Rome’s deputy mayor for sustainable mobility and transport, Eugenio Patanè, is working to restore order and reduce traffic—not only involving golf carts.

In July, electric vehicles began paying for admission to the historic center, as gasoline-powered cars previously did—a strategic shift from focusing solely on emissions reduction to addressing congestion. The number of authorized vehicles has decreased by approximately one-quarter, to 350,000, and Patanè aims to halve the number of daily entrants.

Regulating golf carts has proven more complex. First, not all carts are identical; technical specifications mean some fall under existing regulations while others can operate freely. Second, passenger transport and tourism businesses are regulated at the regional level, Patanè explained.

He has therefore requested the region transfer that authority to Rome, anticipating this will occur this month. He can then propose regulations establishing fixed tour routes, capping the number of carts of all types, and creating a system to select operators.

“Cities where this golf cart phenomenon is expanding truly have very few weapons,” he said. “We will be able to regulate this phenomenon that has now become rampant and, in some cases, even worrisome.”

Operators warn that such proposals would severely hamper their developing industry. Meanwhile, their carts are already facing restrictions.

Authorities stopped vehicles owned by Metur members 14 times during the latter half of August, with document checks on drivers lasting up to an hour, van Duijnhoven said, and penalties that were inconsistent and often harsh. Carts allegedly operating as unlicensed private-hire vehicles can be banned from the streets for over a month, or drivers can face fines of 4,000 euros ($4,600) for providing unlicensed tour guide services.

One block from the Pantheon, the AP observed an officer from Italy’s financial police inspecting documents from a cart carrying a family from Florida. During the 30-minute stop, he collected their identification and recorded their information. Three nearby private-hire vans—also parked illegally—received no such scrutiny.

Halili, who guided the couple from Manchester and owns Wheel Tours, says private-hire and taxi drivers are resentful of the new competition cutting into their business.

“They have waged a war against us, filing complaints and appeal after appeal, because they are a powerful lobby,” he said. “This is the problem: They have it in for golf carts.”

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