If you thought parking was pricey, maybe even on the expensive side already, you won’t enjoy reading this. Parking in Amsterdam just got more expensive. Parking in Amsterdams city centre will now cost €7.50 per hour. 

Yesterday on Sunday, April 14th, parking in Amsterdam got more expensive. The cost of parking rose from €5 per hour to €7.50 per hour. Parking garages are generally seen as cheaper than parking on the street, this much will stay the same. Having said that the cost of using municipal parking garages will also become more expensive (but will be structurally less than parking on the streets of Amsterdam)

Why is parking in Amsterdam more expensive?

The municipality of Amsterdam is trying to keep the streets of the city center largely car-free. The increase in parking rates will figuratively act as a deterrent. With the “parking permit for visitors”, visitors can currently take advantage of a 50% discount on parking. The length of time they can use this will be increased, from 30 hours a month to 40.

Capital cities overcrowded, cars to blame?

It could be worse, although parking is getting more expensive in Amsterdam, we aren’t the only city that’s struggling to deal with overcrowding on the roads. Are cars to blame? Oslo and Paris have tried to temporarily ban cars from the city center.

These measures are being taken to alleviate struggling tram-drivers, cyclists and pedestrians that get caught up on overcrowded roads. Even with Amsterdam’s moped riders moving to the roads recently. Popular cities like London, Paris, and Amsterdam are crowded and their governing bodies are scrambling for a solution.

The profits made from parking fees

Each year Amsterdam makes around €200 million from parking fees. A fraction of this (€32 million) is dedicated to street-checks, while the majority is invested in improving the city’s mobility.

Why is parking in Amsterdam more expensive in 2019? The municipality is fundraising to improve or remodel the current infrastructure in an effort to free up space in an already crowded city. All profits made from parking fees go back into Amsterdam’s “mobility fund”. This fund is used for city projects like roadworks, cycling paths and public areas including playgrounds.

What do you think of all this, if you’re a driver in Amsterdam we want to hear from you! Join the discussion on our Facebook page.