Amsterdam city council is recommending that people travelling to the city park their car as far away as Sassenheim, Haarlem, and Almere and continue their journey by public transport – a measure that has irritated councillors in most of the capital’s surrounding towns.

The city’s website highlights six out of town Park and Ride locations, pointing out that they are all free to park in. Parking in the city costs €7.76 an hour in the city centre.

Amsterdam, and city transport chief Melanie van der Horst are being accused of dumping the capital’s parking problems on other towns. “Sassenheim’s car park is meant for commuters,” local D66 councillor Ruben Kroeze told the Telegraaf.

The situation is similar in Hoorn – which is at least 31 minutes from Amsterdam by train. Local councillor Roger Tonnaer described the situation as “absurd”.

“Amsterdam should solve its own parking problems,” he said. “That is what we do.” Haarlem too is irritated by the Amsterdam move, saying the Spaarnwoude P+R is there to “relieve pressure on Haarlem town centre”.

Haarlemmermeer’s transport chief Marja Ruigrok, however, is pleased with the measures, telling local broadcaster AT5 that “we all want people from outside the ring road to switch to another form of transport”.

Van der Horst herself blames the shortage of P+R places on the edge of Amsterdam for the situation. Several have been closed in recent months because the land is to be used for housing.

Amsterdam’s traffic problems, meanwhile, are continuing. Earlier this month it emerged that Amsterdam is the slowest city in the country to drive around by car – due to council policy and road works.

And at the end of last year, officials warned that 2025 threatens to be a “horror year” for motorists in Amsterdam because of a combination of road works and big events such as the city’s 75th birthday celebrations.