Florence Bans Tuk-Tuks, Citing Lisbon and Porto's Precedent in Regulating Tourist Transport
The city of Florence, Italy, has announced it will ban tuk-tuks and other similar tourist transport vehicles from its historic center, with the new regulation set to take effect on October 15 of this year. This decision, reported by local Italian press, is part of a growing movement across major European tourist destinations to mitigate the negative impacts of over-tourism, and it explicitly follows the path already paved by Portuguese cities like Lisbon and Porto.
The new Florentine rules are stringent, permitting only specific white electric buses with a maximum capacity of eight passengers, operated exclusively by licensed tourist agencies, to circulate on two designated routes. The measure, approved by the Florence City Council on July 30, includes fines of up to €500 for violations, signaling a serious commitment to enforcing the new standard.
This development in Italy is directly linked to recent policy changes in Portugal. The Lisbon Municipal Council implemented a widespread ban on tuk-tuk circulation across 337 streets within its historic core on April 1, 2025. The affected zones are extensive, covering the parishes of Avenidas Novas, Arroios, Penha de França, São Vicente, Santo António, Misericórdia, and Santa Maria Maior. These areas are not only residential hubs but also contain the highest concentration of tourist activity and real estate investment, particularly in the short-term rental sector known as Alojamento Local.
At the time of the announcement, Lisbon's Deputy Mayor, Filipe Anacoreta Correia, stated the objective clearly to the newspaper “Público”. “We intend to protect the city's residents from the excesses,” he said, emphasizing the need to address the noise and congestion caused by the proliferation of these vehicles. He stressed that it is “necessary to regulate the use of public space and the city's mobility” to preserve the capital's heritage and ensure a high quality of life for both residents and visitors. This official stance highlights a decisive shift in municipal policy towards prioritizing residential well-being over unregulated tourist-focused commercial activities.
The city of Porto took similar steps in the same month, restricting these vehicles from nine of its most crowded downtown streets, including the areas around Largo dos Loios and the iconic Ribeira district. The coordinated timing of these regulations in Portugal's two largest cities sent a clear message to the market that the operational landscape for tourism-related transport was being fundamentally altered.
The regulations in Lisbon and Porto serve as a critical case study for other cities like Florence grappling with similar issues. The primary motivation is the preservation of historic urban centers and the protection of the local population from the disruptions of intense tourist activity. For the real estate and tourism sectors, these regulations represent a significant operational shift. Businesses that rely on tuk-tuks to transport clients to and from rental properties or attractions must now adapt their models. The restrictions directly influence the logistics of the tourist experience, which in turn can affect property management and the perceived value of certain locations for holiday rentals. The trend indicates a move towards more sustainable and integrated tourism, a factor that property investors must now consider in their long-term strategies. Discover rental property opportunities and regulations at realestate-lisbon.com.
