Venice installs barcaveloxes after series of deadly accidents.

The Telegraph reports that the Venice Transport Commission has approved a plan to install traffic enforcement cameras along the city's waterways. The aim is to identify gondolas that are speeding or violating waterway traffic regulations.

The regulations allow the use of "barcaveloxes" (high-speed cameras capable of filming underwater) to monitor the speed of canoes and gondolas, according to the Venice Insider Guide, a website specializing in Venice travel guides.

"Transportation in Venice is primarily via canals, so boat travel needs to be more effectively controlled," legislator Martina Semenzato told Italian media.

Several other Italian lawmakers also voiced their support for the decision. They added that during peak tourist season, Venice's canals are often overcrowded with ferries, motorboats, ships, barges, and gondolas, causing traffic congestion.

Boats in the canal city are permitted to travel at speeds up to 6 km/h in the main canals and nearly 5 km/h in the smaller ones. However, the city has seen a series of fatal accidents in recent years despite speed limits. This raises concerns about the safety of tourists and locals alike, according to The Telegraph.

Furthermore, loopholes in the city's regulations regarding the application of fines have led to a backlog of unresolved administrative disputes and an escalating amount of unpaid fees.

Ms. Semenzato added that speed limits and new camera technology will help protect Venice's ancient lagoon ecosystem and architecture, which are threatened by wave movement.

Previously, local experts had warned that the waves could erode walls located near the canals and damage local buildings that have stood for centuries.

The city's waterways have been the site of several dangerous incidents over the past decade or so.

In 2013, a man was seriously injured when a gondola collided with a bus on the Grand Canal (Venice's main canal).

In 2019, three men died in a speeding accident on a city canal.

That same year, large cruise ships were banned from the Giudecca Canal after five tourists were injured in a collision.

Most recently, in 2022, a Belgian tourist stole a water taxi and sped along the Grand Canal. He was apprehended by police shortly afterward.