Amsterdam to ban some tour buses from city center from 2024

Amsterdam is banning heavy tour buses that weigh 7.5 tons or more from the city center. From 1 January 2024, these tour buses may no longer enter the S100 ring road around the city center. They can park at the edges of the city, from where tourists can continue their journey by public transport, Amsterdam announced.

“Tour buses are useful for transporting school classes or the elderly to cultural places in the city, for example. But, 300 to 450 coaches a day are too many for the center, where there is little space. We will put an end to that from next year,” alderman Melanie van der Horst (traffic and transport) said.

According to the city, big tour buses cause problems for locals. They congest the narrow streets and make traffic less safe for cyclists and pedestrians. They’re too heavy for the bridges and quays and emit a lot of harmful gases while they wait for the passengers with their engines running.

To not just move these problems to other parts of the city, Amsterdam is working on extra pick-up and drop-off points and improving the existing ones. “We are also working on good parking spaces at stations, from where visitors can go to the city center by public transport,” the city said.

There will be some exceptions to the ban. The city will still allow tour buses on Weesperstraat, Valkenburgerstraaat, and Kattenburgerstraat, where many cultural organizations are located. Large coaches transporting school kids, the elderly, people with disabilities, or artists to art, educational, or cultural locations can also apply for an exemption.