Amsterdam draws up new rules for growing fleet of pleasure crafts

DutchAmsterdam.nl — Amsterdam may be known as Europe’s bicycling capital, but it is also home to a fast-growing fleet of pleasure crafts.

Over the past ten years the number of pleasure boats using Amsterdam’s canals has double to 14.000 vessels — anything from small sloops to converted military landing crafts, and from water bikes to larger-than-life floating wooden shoes.

Amsterdam introduces new traffic rules for its canals
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To-date there have been no serious accidents, but increasingly there are close calls — especially on those canals which at times are subject to traffic jams.

The city is therefore drawing up a new set of traffic rules for boaters. Many of the common-sense rules are aimed at helping ‘Sunday sailors’ make wise decisions.

For instance, some larger vessels will not be allowed to sail through narrow canals, while others won’t be allow to moor there. Where mooring is allowed, it must be done in such a way that normal traffic on the water is not hindered.

The traffic on some canals will become one-way only.

The new rules have been drawn up by the Dienst Binnenwaterbeheer, the Inland Water Management Department.

The city’s network of 165 canals — which have created 90 islands connected by some 1500 bridges — have earned Amsterdam the title, “Venice of the North.” The city is also home to a few artificial lakes, the IJ harbor and estuary, and of course the river Amstel (Amsterdam = dam in the Amstel).

In recent years Canal tours have become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.

But it’s not just the glass-topped tour boats that use the 100+ kilometers of waterways. Many of the canals are lined with houseboats.

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Also sharing the water are water taxis, the Museum boat, water bikes and even a boat used by package delivery service DHL. Servicing their hard-to-reach downtown customers by water is much easier than having delivery vans either cause — or get stuck in — traffic jams.

Then there are service vessels, such as those manned by folks who dredge discarded bikes out of the canals (you wouldn’t believe how many bikes end up in the water), a floating fire engine, the water police, ships transporting goods to the central market, and lots of other boats — including those 14.000 pleasure crafts.

Starting in April, billboards throughout the city of Amsterdam will encourage Amsterdammers to be good neighbors while they make use of the canals. Many people are aware of how far noise travels over water. Others don’t realize they are sailing to fast, causing waves that are annoying or, worse, damaging to houseboats and smaller vessels.

The city is also considering closing off certain canals during the night so houseboat dwellers and others who live along the canals can enjoy a good night of rest.

In addition the city also plans to look at the growing number of illegal tour boat services.

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