A combination of large-scale building work and special events will bring traffic around Amsterdam to a standstill next year, the infrastructure ministry’s roads department has warned.

One in five cars will have to stay put or Amsterdam will become inaccessible to private vehicles., the ministry said.

Planned for next year are work on the rail network and roads as well as events such as the A10 ring road party in June to celebrate the capital’s 750th birthday, and the tall ship parade SAIL which is expected to attract millions of visitors.

There will also be more traffic in the region because of the Nato summit which takes place in June in The Hague.

To achieve the 20% fall in cars, the department wants commuters and visitors to share cars, travel less or use public transport. A campaign to inform people about the problem and promote cheaper public transport deals will start in spring.

“It is impossible to do all the work in one summer as we would normally do,” head engineer Gohdar Massom told the Telegraaf.

“We cannot afford to delay the work on bridges, roads and tunnels,” he said. Massom said some of the infrastructure is in bad condition and putting off the repairs will boost costs and cause more disruption.

The warning comes as city transport chief Melanie van der Horst said she would be pressing ahead with plans to limit car traffic in the capital.

One of the aims set out in the council’s plan Amsterdam maakt ruimte (Amsterdam frees up space) is to make sure the number of kilometres driven in cars in 2050 will not exceed 13.3 million, the same number as in 2023.

Amsterdam will have some 1.17 million inhabitants by 2050, and if nothing is done to stem the tide, there will be some 30% more cars.

“If we do not act now, the city will grind to a halt,” Van der Horst told the Parool.

A recent survey has shown that Amsterdammers are concerned about the lack of safe spaces for children and greenery, proof, the alderwoman said, that “people understand that it’s not just about fewer cars but about a better balance in public spaces”.

Van der Horst said that “hard choices” will have to be faced regarding who can drive in the city. Ambulances, the fire brigade and other primary need traffic will always be allowed but recreational car use will be discouraged.

It will not be easy for Amsterdammers to accept a culture change, she said, referring to the recent 30 kph limit in the city. “People want it but once they get into their cars they find it hard to comply with the speed limit,” she said.

People should also consider if the short distances travelled by car would not be better covered by bike or on foot. 2025 is the year of the pedestrian and, Van der Horst said, work is already being planned to make several places in the city more pedestrian friendly, including creating car-free zones, broader pavements and safe pedestrian crossings.

Previous attempts

However, previous attempts at establishing car-free zones have not gone down well in Amsterdam, leading to protests from people whose streets were suddenly used as shortcuts.

Much will also depend on government support for the necessary traffic-relieving infrastructure changes in the capital, such as the extension of the Noord/Zuid metro line, a new link between east and west Amsterdam, and a bike bridge across the IJ waterway to Noord.