Major city eyes crackdown on golf cart tours as furious locals push back
Rome’s streets feel like a racetrack as golf‑cart tours boom
The cobbled heart of Rome has taken on a new, electric‑sounding rhythm: hundreds of tiny golf carts zip past ancient stone, filling the city’s narrow lanes and busy squares. According to Tripadvisor data cited by the Associated Press, bookings for guided golf‑cart tours this summer were 147 percent higher than in 2024. Some 500 of the small vehicles could be operating in the city at once, the AP notes, a figure that has sparked a backlash among locals and city officials alike.
“People are piling onto the streets, causing illegal parking, heavy traffic and huge crowds,” a city source said. In a late‑August tour, a van pulled up beside a cart and the driver shouted, “You’re in the middle of the road!” The cart’s operator fired back, “The road isn’t yours!” The confrontation, witnessed by AP reporters, highlighted the friction between the new form of sightseeing and everyday traffic.
Supporters argue the carts are a quiet, low‑impact alternative to buses or taxis. “They take up less space and produce no exhaust fumes that can discolor historic monuments,” said a pro‑cart advocate. They also point out that Rome’s public transportation is limited. “There isn’t that much public transportation because whenever they start to dig a subway, they come upon a priceless relic and the dig site becomes an archaeological site,” explained Pauline Frommer, publisher of Frommer’s guidebooks. “Into this void has come a fleet of golf carts.” Frommer notes that the small vehicles can navigate the city’s tight alleys, offering travelers a way to cover more ground quickly. Yet she also admits the sheer number of carts is a problem, warning that the “sheer number competing for space” is “worrisome.”
City officials are not amused. Rome’s deputy mayor for sustainable mobility and transport, Eugenio Patanè, has asked the regional government for greater regulatory authority. If granted, Rome would introduce rules limiting the number of carts, designating specific tour routes, and vetting operators. “We will be able to regulate this phenomenon that has now become rampant and, in some cases, even worrisome,” Patanè told the AP.
Frommer, who has watched other cities grapple with overtourism, said, “Cities around the world right now are struggling with overtourism. In many of the world’s most popular tourist cities, there are more visitors than residents.” She cites restrictions on short‑term rentals and rules aimed at protecting historic sites as common responses to the influx of visitors.
The debate also touches on accessibility. Rome has “very little public transportation,” Frommer added, noting that the city is difficult for people with mobility impairments. “Limits on golf carts would have an impact on visitors who have difficulty walking,” she said. “Rome is a living, breathing city, home to millions of us. It’s not a theme park for your enjoyment.” A Reddit user echoed this sentiment, urging tourists without mobility needs to avoid the carts, while another defended them, saying, “I did one last week… It was around three hours and excellent!”
The city’s response will shape how Rome’s historic streets evolve in the coming months. For now, the echo of tiny wheels continues to reverberate through the ancient city, a reminder that even centuries‑old streets can feel the pulse of modern tourism.