The Hague introduces €50 flat fee for parking to deter drivers
Whether for 10 minutes or a whole day, it now costs a flat fee of €50 (£43) to park in certain streets in The Hague, including roads around the popular Scheveningen beach.
The pilot scheme in the Dutch city on the North Sea coast, which will last a year, aims to discourage tourists and visitors from blocking up the historic centre and seaside roads, particularly on sunny days.
Residents have for years complained that they cannot find a parking space in the centre of the city and at Scheveningen, which the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited on Thursday.
To try to change this, the city is making it as expensive to park for a quick stop as for a whole day.
Jurriaan Esser, a spokesperson for the council, said the pilot was starting in a selection of streets so that the “collateral damage” could be measured before considering whether to extend it. Residents and businesses with parking permits will in effect gain priority in the largely residential streets.
“We want the primary way of transportation to be your legs, and then the bicycle, public transport, and, last, cars,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t allow cars in our city: it means that if you have a short distance to travel, your primary way of transportation should be your legs. It benefits not only the environment but also travel times.”
It is unclear whether the policy – inspired by initiatives in smaller Dutch cities such as Leiden – will also benefit the city budget. The Hague intends to clamp and if necessary tow away cars that have not paid the €50 fee, which is 10 times the previous typical charge.
Fleur Kruyt, the owner of the Van Kleef distillery, told the broadcaster Omroep West she was not keen on the scheme. “This will not make business any
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