Amsterdam to ban all diesel and petrol powered boats

IT WAS IN May that we published that Amsterdam was considering banning all diesel and petrol powered boats and it will come into force.

Amsterdam City Council has decided to ban all petrol and diesel powered boats from the city centre (defined as being within the A10 city ring road) by 2025, John Howard reports.

Several thousand boats

The new legislation will affect the estimated several thousand pleasure boat owners who either moor in the city or visit with the limit being a radius of 10km  from the city centre .

Petrol and diesel vehicles will also be banned from the city centre area by 2030 and old diesel cars made before 2005 will be banned next year. Busses and coaches will not escape the draconian new laws but will be prohibited from 2022 and even motorcycles in 2025.

Bizarre

The automotive industry association, has called the policy 'bizarre', though of course environmental groups have praised the move as a major step forward in improving air quality in Amsterdam.

The boaters' representatives have complained of the exorbitant cost to owners to convert their boats to electric power, which many cannot afford, so this will clear the canals in the city of what is regarded as a visitor attraction.