There are so many bikes in the four big Dutch cities that bike traffic around the main railway stations threatens to grind to a halt, Trouw writes on Monday.

The paper says its own research shows bike traffic in the cities is growing by between 1.5% and 3% a year and up to 5% in Rotterdam.

In Utrecht, the situation is so acute commuters may start travelling to work by car again, Wim Bot of cyclists lobby group Fietsersbond, told the paper.

Student cities in particular have a shortage of places to park bikes, the paper said.

Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, the city council wants to encourage more people to use underground bike parks, which are often empty. The capital has an estimated 880,000 bikes and their use has gone up 44% since 1990, the council says.

Jeanine van Pinxteren, chairman of the Centrum borough council, told the Parool earlier this month: ‘You used to be able to park in front of your door. Now people know that if they go to the city, they should park elsewhere. That’s what cyclists should be aware of as well.’

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