The municipality of Rotterdam has decided to close four starts in the city center from today, permanently closing to cars during the weekends. This is reported by the trade magazine Traffic Net . Taxi drivers fear that this decision will cause chaos and make their daily work more difficult. Busy streets in the center, such as Aert van Nesstraat, Kruiskade, Meent and Schouwburgplein, will be temporarily closed on Thursday to Sunday evenings for cars from 04.00 hours until well into the night. This measure is part of the so-called Summer Offensive , which was created by the municipality to prevent traffic that drives too fast, makes noise and is unsafe. situations to combat. The streets will remain open for cyclists, pedestrians and emergency services. According to the municipality, taxi ranks will remain accessible. Annoying However, taxi drivers fear that working in the port city, to become the victims of the closed streets. “It is especially annoying for passengers,” says a driver at the taxi stand near Rotterdam Central. Due to the closed streets, drivers will soon be forced to drive, making a taxi ride more expensive. “It is also annoying for us as drivers. Places like the Meent contain many restaurants and cafes. As a taxi driver you regularly drive around there on the weekends to pick up or drop off passengers. In addition, these closures make it busier on other roads in the city, so you are more often stuck in traffic.” “This measure is bad news for us”, another taxi driver says. with him. “I also think that enforcement and the police will be very busy because of this. If taxis can no longer access the Kruiskade, they will probably use the bus lane. Then it becomes chaos. This measure is counterproductive, it does not help.” Exception position The drivers say they understand the point of view of a car-free city, or parts of it. However, they believe that taxis should be exempted from this. “The municipality should be happy with us. We bring all those drunk people home safely, so that they do not participate in traffic themselves. Police and boas should also be happy with that. Otherwise, all those guests would wait until early in the morning, when buses are running again or participating in traffic with a gulp. You shouldn’t want that.”
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