The Hague charging €50 for 10 minutes' parking in some city center, Scheveningen streets

The Hague is charging the full-day parking rate of 50 euros for several residential streets in the city center and Scheveningen, whether you park there for 10 minutes or 10 hours. The experiment is meant to clear enough parking space for locals by discouraging tourists from parking there, Den Haag FM reported.

The municipality hopes the high parking rates will convince tourists to park in the parking garages instead of on the street. The experiment will last one year.

In the city center, the 50 euros parking rate applies on Aprochestraat, Amsterdamse Veerkade, Bierkade, Bierstraat, Dunne Bierkade, Glasblazerslaan, Helena van Doeverenplantsoen, Hamerstraat, Herderinnestraat, Hoge Zand, Kranestraat, Lange Beestenmarkt, Looijerstraat, Nieuwe Molstraat, Paviljoensgracht, Stille Veerkade, and Zuidwal between Paviljoensgracht and Boekhorststraat.

In Scheveningen, motorists will immediately pay 50 euros if they park on Gevers Deynootweg, Harteveltstraat, Jongeneelstraat, Pellenaerstraat, and Seinpostduin.

The residents association of Oude Centrum is happy with the experiment. “We have many empty parking garages, but those are not an option for residents. Residents only get a street permit. So this plan is to distribute things more fairly,” spokesperson Marieke de Jong told the radio station.

But some local businesses are less than pleased. Fleur Kruyt of liquor store Van Kleef understands that cities aren’t built for huge traffic flows, but she would have preferred a different solution. “If necessary, park for 15 or 20 minutes. Then you give people the opportunity to enter a store quickly without the risk that people park there for a long time who have no business there.” According to her, many storefronts are already empty, and that will only be exacerbated by 50 euros parking charge to go shopping.