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Louise Thomas

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As transport giant Uber extends its boat services in Europe, gondoliers fear crowded waterways will be overwhelmed by the influx of new water taxis.

Uber launched the year-round water taxi option to transport tourists on-demand around the famed waterways on 23 July. Travellers with the Uber app can summon a ‘Limo Boat’ for on-demand journeys around the Venetian Lagoon.

Prices for each boat trip start from €120 (£103) and can accommodate up to six people.

Uber’s boats will make departures to and from the airport and to islands including Lido, Murano and Burano.

The new boat rides will compete with motoscafo boats to ferry tourists to destinations across the city.

Typically, a water taxi from Venice Marco Polo Airport to the city centre would cost between €105 and €135 (£90-£116).

The Uber water taxis will be available to book between 8am and 8pm from nearly 200 dedicated points around the Italian canal city.

Gondoliers are concerned that Venice’s already bursting canal network will not be able to handle the introduction of new water taxis and work will be taken from licensed gondoliers.

Andrea Balbi, president of the Associazione Gondolieri di Venezia said: “We are at the limit.

“Adding new boats will make work difficult, if not impossible,” he told The Times.

Lorenzo Pireddu, Uber’s general manager for Italy told the publication: “We believe Italy and the rest of the world is made not just of cars but also integrated and complementary transport services.

“This cannot be more true than in Venice, where you cannot do without maritime transport.”

Alongside the new Venitian canal rides, Uber Yacht will arrive in Ibiza this August and Uber Boat will expand in Greece from Mykonos to Athens, Corfu and Santorini.

“At Uber, we want to give our customers the opportunity to go anywhere, wherever they are travelling,” said Anabel Diaz, vice president, of EMEA Mobility at Uber.

“Whether it’s sailing around Ibiza in your own private yacht or experiencing the Venetian Lagoon by boat, we’re thrilled to add some Uber magic to our customers’ holidays this summer.”

The addition of new boats to the Venetian waterways could worsen traffic in the city battling overtourism.

Cruise ship restrictions from the Venice lagoon banned ships weighing more than 25,000 tonnes in 2021.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

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