Councils to get green light to ban mopeds from bike lanes

DutchNews, November 17, 2015

Transport minister Melanie Schultz is to press ahead with measures which will allow local councils to ban slower types of motorbike from cycle lanes. 

Moped users will also have to wear helmets because they will share the road with vehicles travelling at much greater speeds, the minister said in a briefing to MPs. 

Amsterdam and several other cities have been pressuring the minister to give them more leeway to keep mopeds away from bikes in an effort to improve cyclists’ safety. 

‘This is good news for Amsterdam,’ a council spokesman said. ‘We will be briefing the full council on the implications and next steps as soon as we can.’ 

In Amsterdam, almost half of the people killed in traffic accidents in 2013 were driving a moped. In 2012, moped drivers were involved in 689 accidents, most of which took place on cycle lanes, the Parool said last year. 

Mopeds are not supposed to travel faster than 25 kph but according to some estimates, up to 70% break this limit. It will take about six months before the measure becomes law, news agency ANP says.