Entrepreneurs against A'dam mayor's measures to reduce crowds in Red Light District

Entrepreneurs in Amsterdam are not happy with the measures that mayor Femke Halsema announced on Friday to curb the crowds and nuisance in the Red Light District. Permission for terrace extensions will be withdrawn there from this Friday. The entrepreneurs will meet on Wednesday to consider the situation and agree on how to deal with it. "There are entrepreneurs who are so angry and disappointed that they want to litigate," said a spokeswoman for hospitality association KHN on Tuesday.

Other measures announced include an extension of an alcohol ban, early closing times, increased crowd management with parts of the area closed, and more actions against drug dealers.

Amsterdam allowed temporary terrace extensions to accommodate catering entrepreneurs during the coronavirus time. They will now be withdrawn because "with the start of the summer season and the return of tourist pressures, accessibility, quality of life, and public space will come under pressure."

The KHN spokesperson called the measures in the area - a large part of the Burgerwallen-Oude Zijde and the entire Nieuwmarkt, where 113 catering permits have been issued - "strange." "You could expect that there are now more people in that area again. We also see no relationship between the crowds and the terraces because people just sit there quietly and have a drink."

She added that entrepreneurs have invested in extra furniture and personnel and should not be the victims of this. "It is also often very quiet there, for example, on Sunday mornings or weekdays. You should take any measures in a limited area and, for example, from 8:00 p.m."

According to the KHN, Halsema asked entrepreneurs to think about possible alternative measures. "The question is whether the entrepreneurs still have confidence in whether that space exists. After all, the frameworks have already been stated so clearly without any coordination that there is little hope. These are among the questions that will be on the table on Wednesday."