One parking fine per minute issued in Amsterdam in 2021

The municipality of Amsterdam issued a total of one parking fine per minute in 2021. In the end, the municipality collected 36 million euros from these 525,969 fines, AT5 reports.

Motorists were fined for not paying or insufficiently paying parking fees, illegally parking on the roadway and parking in spots that were not allowed. Fines for not paying a parking fee also became more expensive than in years prior, increasing from 47.60 euros in 2019 to 66.50 euros in 2021. Fines for illegal parking were 100 euros each.

Ombudsman Munish Ramlal accused the municipality of not thinking how processes could be improved –– such as calling someone after they receive three fines in a row –– but instead continuing to fine people "like a headless chicken," according to AT5. The ombudsman received 204 complaints last year about parking in Amsterdam.

The municipality countered that it waived the vast majority of parking fines for which objections were lodged: 48,482 out of 76,100 objections received a favorable outcome. Most of the money from parking fines goes to the municipality, while some goes to the state.