The long awaited 30 km / h speed limit in Amsterdam has finally come into effect on December 8, meaning that everyone on the city’s roads and bike paths will now have to watch their speed. The new limit applies to a broad range of vehicles, including scooters, electric bikes, buses, and taxis.

Soft enforcement in place for the initial period

Though the city has made significant efforts to make people aware of the new speed limits, they have admitted that enforcement will have to be more gradual, so that people can get used to the new rules. 

“A different speed limit will take some getting used to, of course, especially for people who are behind the wheel every day. But in our city, we want to be considerate of others,” the municipality wrote. The city hopes that the new limit will help to prevent serious accidents and reduce noise pollution. 

Roads that are exempt to the new speed limits to receive special markings

To avoid confusion, roads that remain at 50 km / h will get extra road markings to make it clear that the new 30 km / h limit does not apply. Some of these roads include Weesperstraat, Prins Hendrikkade, and Piet Heinkade. 

Since the weather has been so rainy recently, some of the roads have not yet been marked, but the city has said it hopes to get the markings on the road soon. For public transport like trams, buses and taxis, there will be some opportunities to continue driving at 50 km / h on roads where there are special lanes.