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7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

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6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

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31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

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27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

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23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

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18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

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ING Bank wants toll booths

6 October 2006 – In order to improve the climate for investment, Amsterdam should introduce toll booths for cars entering the city centre. The proceedings should be invested in better public transport. This is the conclusion of a report of the Economic Bureau of the ING Bank.

In order to find out how Amsterdam can improve its image among investors, the ING made a comparison with Barcelona, Madrid and Stockholm. Especially transport connections need improvement, is the conclusion.

Following the example of London, Stockholm has introduced a ‘congestion charge’ for cars entering the city centre. This measure reduced congestion, pollution and accidents. Many residents and entrepreneurs were sceptical at first, but this changed when they saw the results.

ING argues for a congestion charge experiment in Amsterdam. This requires that motorists are offered an ‘excellent alternative’. The proceedings of the charge must therefore be invested in better public transport.

Public transport in the Spanish cities is half as expensive as in Amsterdam, and underground trains run at a higher frequency. Amsterdam is also lagging in investments in public transport.

Minister Karla Peijs recently told Parliament that it is ‘not desirable’ that Amsterdam introduces toll booths. “My message is clear: the car is no gravy train and we should prevent people getting that idea”. She was supported by the right-wing parties and the Social-Democrat PvdA.

The independent Amsterdam MP Gonny van Oudenallen complained about the left-wing city administration in the capital: here “they are constantly making trips to London and saying: we want this too”. Amsterdam says that it does not want to introduce toll booths, but that it is discussing other means of making car traffic more expensive in the city with the minister.

Apart from the toll booths, ING argues for investments in a glass fibre network, city promotion and swifter processing of applications for residence permits.

Background: Mileage charge experiment

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