Venice: Tourists to be Fined £382 for Wheelie Suitcases After Locals Complain of Noise Pollution

In a bizarre new ruling, the Venice City Council has warned tourists of a £382 ($575) fine if visitors are seen pushing around wheelie suitcases.

The ruling comes after local residents complained of noise pollution on the canal bridges that keeps them awake at night.

The Venice City Council said in a statement: "The rules respond to the needs of many residents who have complained to the authorities in recent years about serious discomfort in their homes linked to the movement of goods at times protected by legislation such as at night and in the early morning.

"There are also numerous worrying signs of deterioration and wear to paving stones and bridges previously unharmed for hundreds of years."

Wheelie suitcases with silent inflated tyres can be used, however, rubber tyres are strictly forbidden in the city now, authorities said, reported The Daily Mail.

Finding inflated tyres is near impossible though, as confirmed by city official Maurizio Dorigo, who called the rules impractical.

"Hopefully a company will start producing suitcases with inflatable tyres. We've got till next May. Someone will be able to design and sell them by then," said Dorigo.

According to Il Gazzettino, Venetians are exempt from the new regulations that will go into full swing starting May 2015.

Venice has been trying hard to control the impact of approximately 20 million tourists that visit the city annually.

A campaign was launched earlier this year to prevent tourists from attaching 'love locks' to the city's bridges.

Attaching padlocks to a bridge is considered a gesture of love, and is practised in many parts of the world, including Paris.

Local authorities have warned that Venice's bridges are too fragile to carry the extra weight added to the bridges by the padlocks.

Yet the practice continues and an estimated 20,000 love locks were reportedly removed from the Rialto and Accademia bridges this summer.

Limits on the canal traffic have also been placed to control the water traffic in the city.

In other regulations, gondola drivers are now subject to drug and alcohol tests and are strictly ordered to use GPS devices and number plates after several complaints of drunkard gondoliers.