Italian summer traffic surge forces road restrictions in Amalfi Coast and Messina

Residents of the Amalfi Coast report that August tourism has led to severe overcrowding of beaches, promenades and public spaces. Municipal authorities have installed large temporary stages and festivals that further limit available areas, generating noise, traffic congestion and tension between tourism promotion and locals' quality of life.

In Messina, the prefecture and police have activated a "red badge" traffic plan for the first weekend of August. The scheme imposes a north‑south one‑way system on Via Vittorio Emanuele II and Viale della Libertà, restricts access to ferry terminals for vehicles not heading to Caronte & Tourist, and adds new signage, signal changes and parking bans. The measures run from 16 August to 7 September between 11 am and 4 pm to manage the seasonal surge of vehicles.