Amsterdam to ban boats on city canals at night

Amsterdam is banning all boats from sailing on the canals in the city center between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. from mid next year. Private skippers and companies will also not be allowed to sail with more than 12 passengers without a permit. Alderman Sharon Dijksma hopes that these measure will reduce nuisance caused by boat traffic in the inner city, Het Parool reports.

The measures are part of Dijksma's new permit system. The core of the new system consists of the issuing of a total of 550 permits, for which both existing and new boat companies have to apply. This is an extension of the current offer, but Dijksma promises that the number of sailing movements will be reduced because she will combat illegal boat traffic with strict enforcement. "The new policy must limit the growth of sailing and reduce inconvenience", she said.

According to Dijksma, there was a 30 percent increase in the number of nuisance complaints related to boat traffic between 2015 and 2017. This justifies a "night closure" of the canals in the inner city, she said.