Amsterdam considering alcohol ban on canals

The municipality of Amsterdam is investigating whether a partial alcohol ban is possible on the water in the city. That would mean that it will no longer be allowed to drink alcohol on boats in certain parts of the city, RTL Nieuws reports.

On Thursday the Amsterdam city council also approved new sailing rules to limit the crowds on the canals and nuisance to local residents. Soon you will need a permit to sail a boat with more than 12 people on board, and the municipality will only issue 550 such permits. The city is also considering banning sailing in the city center at night.

There is a lot of resistance to the new rules. On Monday, dozens of individual boat owners blocked the canal near the official residence of Mayor Femke Halsema, to protest the new policy.

But according to alderman Sharon Dijksma, measures like the permit are needed to prevent illegal pleasure craft. The new rules will help the city "get a grip on the canal", she believes. Over the past years it has become a lot more crowded on the canals, and the number of nuisance reports increased considerably, she said.