The municipality of Amsterdam is exploring the possibility of banning fatbikes from some of the most crowded areas of the city. Alderwoman Melanie van der Horst, in charge of Traffic and Transport, is looking into the feasibility of using a local ordinance (APV), to limit the areas in which fatbikes are welcome. The reason for the ban lies in safety issues. Concerns have been raised by some Amsterdam residents about fatbikes being ridden at high speeds in parks and other areas that are full of pedestrians, often resulting in unsafe situations. The planned ordinance defines fatbikes as bicycles with tires wider than 7 centimetres.
If the city moves forward with the plan, Vondelpark may be the first area in which the new rules take effect. The location was chosen based on the high number of reports of dangerous situations involving fatbikes in the park. Vondelpark is a popular space where many Amsterdammers go to walk their dogs and enjoy outdoor recreation.
Van der Horst regularly receives complaints from Amsterdammers regarding fat bikes. ‘Every week, I receive messages from Amsterdammers saying they no longer dare to go out on the roads and begging me to ban fatbikes. So I feel it’s my duty to do everything in my power to address this problem,’ states van der Horst.
The alderwoman was initially hesitant to take local action regarding fatbikes, preferring nationwide legislation, but the increase in issues involving fatbikes convinced her that the time had come to take the reins. ‘It’s time to consider unorthodox measures. We’ve been asking the national government for three years to take action to tackle fat bikes. Meanwhile, problems have only gotten worse in recent years, with more unsafe fatbikes on the road and more accidents, sometimes involving very young children,’ suggests van der Horst.
The controversial means of transportation has attracted attention not only from the city of Amsterdam but also from the Dutch government, which announced plans to make helmets mandatory for riders under 18 on fatbikes and e-bikes, starting in 2027. Van der Horst, however, suggests that the rules simply don’t address the issues raised by constituents about fatbikes. ‘The minister has now announced mandatory helmet use for children on e-bikes, which is a good first step. But that won’t take effect until 2027, and that measure won’t help other road users who experience the inconvenience,’ she says.
Amsterdam isn’t the only municipality struggling with these sorts of traffic safety issues. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven and The Hague have jointly petitioned the national government for the power to implement local rules regarding vehicles such as fatbikes and electric scooters. Fatbikes are currently not allowed in Enschede’s city centre.
The municipality of Amsterdam also intends to runs trials on two new regulations aimed to enhance safety on bike paths: a 20-kilometer-per-hour speed limit on bike paths and a requirement for large electric cargo bikes to be operated on the road instead of on bike paths.
If things go as planned, this won’t be the first time that Amsterdam has used a local ordinance to keep nuisance-causing vehicles out of the city: banned beer bikes from the centre of Amsterdam a number of years ago.
Written by Lorre Luther