Get out of here! Amsterdam residents kicked beer bikes popular with tourists off the streets
Beer bikes have been banned in Amsterdam due to complaints about noisy and undisciplined tourists.
On October 31, the court ordered the authorities to ban the use of beer bikes in the city center, calling them a "public order problem." Beer bikes are a popular entertainment for groups of tourists. During the trip, they can see the city and drink. Critics say this entertainment has become an example of a problem caused by mass tourism.
Beer bikes are small pubs equipped with wheels and bicycle seats arranged around a table. Tourists pedal, drive along the Amsterdam canals and enjoy a beer.
The ban came into force on November 1. A representative of the mayor's office said that it is now impossible to rent such bicycles.
Bicycles were decided to be banned after about 6,000 local residents signed a petition calling for a ban last year, calling mobile pubs a "terrible phenomenon."
"Our city has become a giant amusement park," said one of the residents.
The city administration previously announced plans to raise taxes for hotels in order to reduce the number of budget tourists. The Netherlands is famous for its cycling culture, but hardly anyone will regret the absence of drunk tourists who drive these strange vehicles and complicate the movement around the city for owners of ordinary bicycles," commented Anna Holigan, a BBC correspondent.
Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, who died in October, then agreed with the disgruntled residents of the city and imposed a ban. Four bicycle rental companies tried to challenge this decision. The court suspended the ban, finding it insufficiently justified. However, on October 31, the Amsterdam District Court eventually approved the ban.
"A combination of factors such as traffic violations and antisocial behavior justifies the ban," the court said.
Keywords: Amsterdam | Bicycles | Prohibition | Beer | Tourists