Sirmione Plans Electric Boat to Reduce Traffic and Pollution
Electric is beautiful. The Municipal Administration is absolutely convinced of this. After electric scooters, electric-powered vehicles for waste collection, and the imminent launch of freight transport, the city is about to launch a new significant project. It involves purchasing a boat capable of transporting tourists from Colombare to the historic center and vice versa via the lake. The increasing pollution alarm in the area is attracting attention even from medium-sized cities like Brescia.
The issue also closely affects small yet highly frequented tourist centers, which during seasonal periods host many visitors and commuters who almost always travel by private car. This causes traffic jams, congestion, smog pollution, and noise. Not to mention the difficulty of parking once they reach their destination.
The holiday destinations around Garda Lake are concrete proof of this situation. For this reason, efforts are underway to address the problem. Sirmione has taken steps by progressively banning gasoline engines to promote electric alternatives. Now, a new project is emerging that aligns with this direction.
The Electric Boat Project
“It’s about convincing our guests heading to the historic center of Sirmione to park their cars at the foot of the peninsula, in the Colombare area, and to use the boat for this short journey,” explains Mayor Maurizio Ferrari.
The project involves purchasing a vessel similar to the vaporetto boats used in Venice, intended to shuttle between Colombare and the Sirmione port. In short, fewer cars near the Sirmione center means less traffic for tourists, fewer frustrations for commuters, and potentially fewer curses from those who, upon arrival, cannot find parking spaces for their cars.
The implementation of the initiative – concludes the mayor – also depends on regional support from Regione Lombardia, which we will ask to contribute financially to the purchase of the boat. Obviously, one or two large parking lots will need to be built at the base of the peninsula. The areas identified in the town’s Master Plan are suitable for this purpose.
The idea, not new to Sirmione, as we have said, aims at acquiring a passenger vessel equipped with two propulsion systems: the normal engine for open lake use and an electric one for maneuvering inside the port. Thanks to regional grants, the campaign to replace scooters with electric mopeds has already begun. About fifty have been purchased so far.
Since the beginning of the year, two electric vehicles for waste collection in the historic center have been used by Cooperativa netturbini di Sirmione. Starting March 15, another innovative service will launch throughout Lombardy—an integrated freight transport service in the historic center using electric vans, operated by Bonturi.
In short, Sirmione becomes the first Italian tourist capital to experiment with widespread use of electric vehicles for moving people, services, and goods within its small but valuable historic center.