Parking wars are a feature of the summer season in coastal resorts, but residents in the Dutch seaside town of Zandvoort have devised a new tactic to keep their streets free of tourist traffic.
People living in the Parkbuurt neighbourhood have been sending co-ordinated reports of road closures to navigation apps, which then tell approaching drivers to avoid the area.
The scheme has not gone down well with the town council, which says it has led to more congestion in other areas. Councillors have retaliated by installing road signs telling drivers to switch off their navigation and follow parking route directions.
“I understand that sometimes there are no spaces and people are driving round looking for a spot, but this is just wrong,” said alderman Gert-Jan Bluijs, who is responsible for parking and mobility. “It shifts the problem to other neighbourhoods and creates chaos.”
But one anonymous resident told local news network NH Nieuws that the phantom road closures would continue until the council tackled the problem.
“We’re not shutting the neighbourhood all week, just during very busy weekends,” he said. “During the week we’re open for deliveries and guests.
“The municipality has been stringing us along for long enough and we’re sick of it. We’re going to keep this up until they actually take action.”
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