Starting September, all ships that exceed 1000 tonnes will be obliged to change their route, in order to prevent them from entering Venice’s lagoon. The Italian government took the decision after major protests due to many incidents, the latest being in June of 2019 where 5 people were injured from a collision between a cruise ship, the dock, and a small tourist boat.
In fact, this is not the first time this issue surfaces. Back in 2013, bans were overturned by the legislation, regarding the same type of boats entering the central Giudecca canal, the famous waterway very close to St Mark’s square, and in 2017 announcements were made regarding diverting the routes from the historical center in vain.
With these decisions, the government is also trying to diminish the erosion issues and pollution problems in the waterway. In fact, some claim that cruise ships are a risk for the lagoon, create waves that erode the foundations of the city and bring in many more tourists than the city can grasp. Plans are to reroute one-third of the boats by end of 2020.
News via BBC.
