Campaign For A Living Venice

The flow of tourists will be regulated by agents. The decision of the Committee for Public order means the return of alternative courses. The long Easter holiday begins and security is enhanced in Piazza San Marco

By Carlo Mion 19 April 2019

VENEZIA. The era of the access gates is over. They won’t be out for Easter, anticipating their retirement, which is already scheduled for September when the tassa di sbarco is supposed to go in to effect. The tourist traffic will be managed by agents of the local police, with the possible use of barricades. This was decided two days ago at a meeting of the Provincial Committee for Order and Public Security which took place in the Prefettura, concerning planning for the two spring holidays that will bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to Venice.

Last year, between Easter and Easter Monday more than 120 thousand people poured on to Strada Nuova. An ordinance of the Commander of the Local Police will allow the redirection of the flow of people by local police if it becomes necessary. The ordinance calls for stationing agents of the local police at Piazzale Roma and at the station, to prevent access to Pont di Calatrava and Lista di Spagna for tourists who are heading to Rialto and San Marco.

Tourist traffic will then follow, like last year, alternate routes: the Tre Ponti towards Accademia, Ponte Papadopoli towards the Frari, and Ponte degli Scalzi. Residents and holders of the Venezia Unica card will be able to go along normally: a way to avoid a total block and the inevitable controversies. The can be exceptions made for tourists who are heading for Cannaregio and to Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

The will be no change of location, instead, for the granturismo launches that arrive from Cavallino and the shore. They will continue to unload tourists at Riva degli Schiavoni. Last year they had been moved to Fondamente Nuove.

The security plan for the historic center is tested and has been enhanced all the way to the entryways to the city. This has been the case since the attacks on the Twin Towers – Venice, as a city of art, is considered a sensitive target for terrorism. As has already happened for some years, security forces will include agents of the Carabinieri and the police who are part of special antiterrorism units.

In the city everything is ready to raise the level of security, in particular in the Marciana and Rialto areas, as well as at the points of entrance to the city, starting today. In the offices of the Committee particular attention is being paid to the shore, where most of the nightlife spots have reopened. Also starting today is the period of the Jewish Passover, which will end next week with various ceremonies.

Source: La Nuova Venezia