The bollards on Hoefkade and Parallelweg were replaced by ANPR cameras in February. Since then, the cameras have been registering vehicles driving through the area without a permit. Starting Monday, June 15, the municipality will issue fines at these cameras for driving through the area without a permit. Over the past 4.5 months, drivers who continued driving without a permit received a warning letter. Drivers who have never received a warning up to June 15 will receive a warning first upon their first offense after June 15. This prevents anyone from receiving a fine immediately for a first offense. The proceeds from the fines will go entirely to the national government.
On the Parallelweg, there are an average of 650 passages per day, and on the Hoefkade, 600 passages per day. Since the start of the trial, it has become apparent that many drivers are still driving through the Hoefkade and the Parallelweg even though they are not permitted to do so. Approximately a quarter of these journeys were made without an exemption. With the cameras, the municipality aims to reduce through traffic and make the neighborhood safer, while residents, business owners, and informal caregivers with an exemption retain access to the area.
In total, 1,235 exemptions have now been granted to residents, entrepreneurs, informal caregivers, and institutions. With this, the vast majority of eligible residents and entrepreneurs have received an exemption.
What the municipality has done to warn motorists
Over the past few months, the municipality has done a great deal to inform residents, business owners, and visitors. A warning letter was sent for every violation. In addition, matrix signs have been placed at the entrances to the area, the signage has been adjusted, and neighborhood organizations and business owners have been actively approached. The matrix signs will remain in place for at least another two months. Clear markings are still being applied to the road indicating that driving into the area is prohibited. Inspections and discussions have been organized in the neighborhood to gather feedback from residents, business owners, and other stakeholders, and to answer questions.
Despite these measures, more than 18,000 letters were sent during the warning period. In February, at the start of the pilot, there were 4,553, and by the end of May, this number had dropped to 3,442 warnings. We also see that approximately 20% of drivers received multiple letters.
Evaluation
The pilot will last two years. With the cameras, the municipality aims to reduce through traffic and make the neighborhood safer. The number of sightings, warnings, and fines is monitored and shared annually with the city council. Based on this, it will be assessed how and whether the camera surveillance system can be deployed further in other parts of the city.
Text: Gemeente Den Haag. Translation to English: The Hague Online
Photos: Valerie Kuypers
