Fatbikes cause dangerous situations in the city. For the riders themselves, but also for other road users. Therefore, Amsterdam wants to ban fatbikes in busy areas, such as Vondelpark.
The call to take action has been growing for some time. More and more Amsterdam residents complain about fatbikes speeding through parks and narrow streets without helmets, often with poor brakes. There are also reports of intimidating behavior. Because fatbikes have no license plates, riders are difficult to trace.
Locally banning fatbikes
The possibilities to ban fatbikes are limited at the national level. We now want to regulate this ourselves with the general local ordinance (APV) by designating areas where fatbikes are not allowed to ride, based on reports of nuisance and danger. This approach has previously been used successfully to ban the beer bike from the center of Amsterdam.
Ban likely to start in Vondelpark
Vondelpark will likely be the first area where the ban applies. The park is busy, with many cyclists, playing children, and walkers. Ambulance data shows that relatively many accidents occur there. Other areas may follow after Vondelpark.
What is a fatbike?
The municipality will determine whether a bike is a fatbike based on tire thickness. If the tires are wider than 7 centimeters, the bike falls under the ban. Alderman Van der Horst: “The national government says no distinction can be made between fatbikes and e-bikes. We think otherwise. I am willing to fight that legal battle. Everyone knows a fatbike is very different from an e-bike. The tires are wider, the bikes are much heavier than regular e-bikes, and on many fatbikes you dont even have to pedal to move forward. That makes it more like a moped than a bike.”
More measures
Next year we will start two pilots to make bike paths safer. We will experiment with a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour on the bike path and with moving cargo bikes to the roadway.
Alderman: I feel it is my duty to tackle this
Alderman Melanie van der Horst (Traffic and Transport): “We have been asking the national government for three years to take measures to tackle fatbikes. Meanwhile, the problems have only gotten worse in recent years, with more unsafe fatbikes on the road and more accidents sometimes involving very young children. The minister has now announced a helmet requirement for children on e-bikes, which is a good first step. But that only comes into effect in 2027 and that measure does not help other road users who experience nuisance. I receive messages every week from Amsterdam residents saying they no longer dare to go on the road and begging me to ban fatbikes. So I feel it is my duty to try everything in my power to address this problem.”
Districts can respond to this proposal in the coming weeks. After that, the city council will make a decision.
