Holidaymakers will be dismayed to hear a new measure to combat traffic and overcrowding in a British holiday hotspot will limit the amount of tourists.
The 35km long road between Vietri sul Mare and Positano on the Amalfi Coast has long been hailed as one of the most beautiful drives in the world because of its stunning natural scenery.
A section of the road along the Amalfi Coast
Wikimedia Commons/Lienyuan Lee
The Amalfi coast
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This popularity has led to notorious traffic jams and massive queues.
As a result, Anas, the authority supervising the road, has implemented a new measure.
Vehicles with licence plates ending in odd numbers can use the road on odd-numbered days, and vice versa for vehicles with licence plates ending in even numbers.
The rules apply from 10am to 6pm, and will be in force throughout all of August and weekends from June 15th to September 30th.
Caravans and cars with trailers are only allowed to make use of the road between midnight and 6:30am.
Violating the regulations would lead to fines of an unspecified amount. Local police will not be allowing vehicles with licence plates ending in the wrong number onto the road.
Fausto Salsano, local B&B proprietor, expressed support for the initiative to CNN. He explained that “We're basically flooded for four or five months a year, and residents have difficulty both parking and using the car to get from one village to another
“Unfortunately, the Amalfi Coast's beauty is in its location, with the towns constructed along the cliffs, so parking spaces are minimal and there's rarely room for manoeuvre."
A resident told the Sun that they were often “trapped at home” by the traffic and overcrowding.
Others have opposed the move, with another resident telling the Sun that "It discourages tourists. It makes it impossible to stay for an odd number of days.
“If you arrive on Wednesday, you can't leave on Thursday. It's not like you can send your rental car back on Amazon.”
The measures were modelled on the ‘Pico y placa’ regulations put into effect in Colombian cities such as Bogotá and Medellín in early 2022. These rules designate areas as only accessible to vehicles with their licence plate ending in certain numbers.