Traffic cams to ticket Amsterdam scooter drivers using bike paths

The city of Amsterdam will use license plate cameras to determine if scooters drivers are using the roadways or bike paths, and to check if drivers and passengers are wearing a helmet. The trial program starts on Monday and will continue for an initial one-year period.

The city said the program is necessary because drivers of light scooters have recently become less likely to adhere to the rules of the road.

Scooters have been banned from most bicycle paths since 2019 in Amsterdam. In those areas, the drivers must take the scooters onto the roadways, in which case they also have to be wearing a helmet. A study conducted at the beginning of 2020 showed that the new rules have created a safer traffic situation, better traffic flow, and also reduced congestion on the bicycle paths.

The number of accidents involving light scooters has also decreased considerably, according to the municipality.

For the time being, the existing license plate cameras will be used, but portable cameras will be added later. Anyone who breaks the rules will be fined. The use of cameras is in addition to using extra security teams on the street, known as BOAs, to enforce the rules. They issue around a hundred fines per month.