At least 13 Dutch municipalities to experiment with voluntary firework-free zones: report

At least 13 large municipalities and a number of smaller ones will be experimenting with voluntary firework-free zones this New Year's, the Volkskrant reports after speaking with the 44 largest municipalities in the Netherlands.

The municipality provides signboards for such firework-free zones, but not enforcements. Local residents can apply for a firework-free zone, and it is up to them to enforce it. The mayors hope to reduce fireworks nuisance without incurring high costs in this way, according to the newspaper.

The Netherlands' four largest cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague - are all using voluntary firework-free zones this year. They're following the example of The Hague, who was the first to experiment with such zones last New Year's.

How many voluntary firework-free zones there will actually be, is not yet clear. According to the newspaper, there hasn't been a flood of requests in any of the municipalities experimenting with these zones. A number of Hilversum municipalities signed up so far, but no firm agreements have been made. "Many residents shy away from the hassle with neighbors who would like to light fireworks", a spokesperson for the municipality said to the Volkskrant.