Wheel clamp abolished in Amsterdam

As of January 1, the infamous wheel clamp will be history in Amsterdam.

The wheel clamp has been an effective - and much disliked - instrument to punish car drivers for parking violations.

Many tourists arriving in Amsterdam by car have been the victim of a wheel clamp, and this was one of the reasons it was much criticized. Because it is now considered as in contradiction with the efforts of Amsterdam to be more hospitable toward visitors, the wheel clamp will be abolished.

Starting January 1 2009, you can only be fined for parking violations. One reason the wheel clamp was introduced, was the fact that parking tickets issued to foreign visitors could often not be enforced. This has changed recently, because parking tickets have become enforcable in the visitor's own country, in most European countries. This makes it difficult for visitors from other European countries to escape the fine by just not paying it.