Sint brings heavy rush hour traffic, gifts

Those celebrating Sinterklaas tonight must remember to take the rush hour traffic into account. The Traffic Information Service warns that the evening rush hour will possibly twice as busy than usual. At peak time, around 17:00, there may be traffic on about 300 kilometers of Dutch motorways, compared to the 150 that is normal for a Friday afternoon. The last three years there was also traffic for about 300 kilometer on the "gift evening rush". Traditionally the firs delays on a Friday occur around 13:30 in the Rotterdam region and on the A1 between Amersfoort and Amsterdam. "Under normal weather conditions the traffic lessens rapidly after 17:30 and by 19:30 the biggest problems are behind us." Some rain is predicted in the west of the country today.