Pedal party over for drunk tourists as Amsterdam bans controversial ‘beer bikes’
Beer bicycles have become a popular way – especially for tourists celebrating group events, such as stag parties – to travel around Amsterdam
Amsterdam will enforce a new ban on ‘beer bikes’ this week after years of complaints by locals about rowdy tourists getting drunk and disorderly while pedalling along its famous canals.
As from Wednesday “the beer bicycle may be banned from the city centre to stop it from being a nuisance,” the Amsterdam District Court said in a statement.
“The court agrees with the city council that the combination of traffic disruptions, antisocial behaviour and the busy city centre justifies a ban,” it added.
Beer bicycles have become a popular way – especially for tourists celebrating group events, such as stag parties – to travel around Amsterdam.
The contraption is actually a small cart fitted out with a number of bicycle seats arranged around a bar table and which is then powered by patrons, as they pedal along the inner city’s historic canals.
But beer bicycles have become a huge headache, even for Amsterdammers who are known for their tolerance.