Motorists in Amsterdam who have been ignoring the 30 kph brought in on most roads last December run the risk of being fined from June, when speed traps are brought in on some roads.

The public prosecution department is planning to switch on cameras and start handing out fines next month. Four permanent speed cameras on the Stadhouderskade will be activated from Saturday, and temporary ones placed on the Postjesweg, Kattenburgerstraat and Oostenburgergracht for two months at a time.

The department is to start monitor compliance with the lower speed limit because more local authorities are also introducing 30 kph zones and it wants to see if the cameras are effective.

City transport chief Melanie van der Horst has welcomed the move, saying people have now had six months to get used to the change.

“If the cameras prove their worth, they can be implemented permanently,” she said. The city, which is also assessing the effectiveness of the lower speed limit, expects an 20% to 30% reduction in the number of traffic accidents.