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Amsterdam may charge parking fees for bikes

DutchAmsterdam.nl — It may be a matter of time before Amsterdam begins to charge bicycle riders to park their bikes in certain areas of town.

Alderman Maurice Piek (VVD) yesterday suggested that the city build bicycle parking facilities in places like Munt square, Dam square and at Central Station. He suggest charging a hourly fee of €0.63 an hour, Dutch daily De Telegraaf reports.

Bike parking facility at Central Station

The current bike parking facility at Central Station is not large enough
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The Fietsersbond, the Dutch Cyclists’ Union, reacted by saying good behavior should not be taxed. A spokesperson for the union said, “Politicians encouraged people to travel by bike in the center of town. People have answered that call, but the promised bicycle parking facilities have not yet materialized.”

Piek points that out in some place you could ‘break your neck’ over the bikes, and says where there is a dearth of parking spots one has to be willing to pay.

He suggests a chip-based payment system in combination with a license plate for each bike. Piek says civil servants should receive special training so they can supervise the scheme.

Meanwhile the Cyclists’ Union maintains that the city of Amsterdam has never taken its responsibility. “For ten years there has been talk about a large parking facility at Central Station,” the spokesperson says.

Anton and Janet Hein
Publisher at DutchAmsterdam | Website |  + posts

Anton and Janet Hein live and work in Amsterdam. We are the publishers of DutchAmsterdam.

Anton was born on a houseboat in the center of Amsterdam, right across from the iconic Westertoren and what later became the Anne Frank House museum. Having lived in nearly every district since then, he knows the city like his own back pocket.

Janet was born in England and raised in Ireland before moving to Amsterdam 42 years ago. Even to date she brings an expat’s perspective to the DutchAmsterdam website.

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Last updated Sunday, September 11, 2011 CET (Central European Time)

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