Utrecht issues nearly €200,000 in parking tickets during first Christmas enforcement
The municipality of Utrecht issued twice as many parking fines over Christmas as on an average weekday, marking the first time enforcement was carried out over the holiday, as reported by RTV Utrecht. On a typical weekday, about 600 vehicles in Utrecht are caught without the driver having paid for parking. But on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, this number doubled to approximately 1,200 fines on each date, good for almost 200,000 euros in fines.
“Likely, this is due to an increase in visitors and the assumption that no checks are conducted on holidays,” said a municipal spokesperson. Since January 1, 2023, holidays are treated as regular days under parking regulations, without exception.
While enforcement was initially postponed during the 2023 holiday season due to technical issues with a new parking app, the municipality calculated it missed approximately 350,000 euros in revenue. That includes about 250,000 euros in parking fees and 100,000 euros in unpaid fines.
This Christmas, however, enforcement was in full effect. Each fine in Utrecht amounts to 81 euros, resulting in an estimated 97,000 euros collected per day over the holiday. Previously, certain holidays, such as Christmas Day, had exemptions from paid parking, though the Monday after Easter, Pentecost Monday, and Boxing Day required payment. Since the 2023 policy change, paid parking applies every day in all areas.
Kees van Duin, a visitor from Vlijmen, Noord-Brabant, received a fine within 30 minutes of parking his car for a Christmas dinner at his daughter’s home in Utrecht. “I was later informed I needed to pay for parking, but by then it was too late,” Van Duin said.
He has filed an appeal, claiming he was unaware of the rule change. “As a non-resident, I couldn’t have known this,” he argued.
The municipality encourages anyone who feels a fine was issued unfairly to follow standard appeal procedures. “The changes in parking regulations were communicated through municipal channels,” the spokesperson said in Utrecht's defense.
Van Duin acknowledged his responsibility to stay informed but expressed hope his appeal would succeed. “Everyone knows you can’t run a red light, but this feels different,” he said.
“If they say I need to pay, I’ll pay. It’s unfortunate, but at least I had a lovely Christmas dinner for 81 euros. Now I know for next year.”
