Amsterdam attracts a great number of visitors, especially in the Red Light District. Unfortunately, the number of visitors is also paired with the amount of mess left behind on the streets.
In order to deal with litter left behind by visitors in the Red Light district, parts of the streets will be temporarily closed off during busy nights so that they can be cleaned up. This is just one of the measures that the new mayor of Amsterdam is taking to tackle the overcrowded city centre, which has been described as a “lawless jungle” by Amsterdam Ombudsman Arre Zuurmond.
In addition to the proposed cleaning breaks, the city council will be keeping an eye on visitor numbers in the Red Light District, so that streets can be closed off if it gets too busy. Should visitors receive a fine, for public urination for example, they can pay this straight away, as enforcement officers will be equipped with a mobile payment device.
In the Dutch capital, boats will also be monitored more closely when using busy waterways through the city centre. By implementing all of these measures, the municipality hopes to limit the hustle and bustle at the Red Light District during the busy tourist season.
The measures will be implemented this month. However, they are not the answer to all of the city centre’s problems, a spokesperson for the mayor stressed.