Councils are doing very nicely out of parking fees, with an increase of 38% in car park charges over the past five years compared with a 20.3% rise in total income, according to figures from the home affairs ministry.

In 2007, parking fees added €445m to councils’ income. That has now risen to €614m, RTL news reports, quoting the figures.
However, parking fees are not the most important source of income for councils. Property tax (ozb), which rose slightly more than inflation, accounts for €3.2bn and water charges, which also rose just above inflation, bring in €1.4bn.
Parking in the Netherlands is relatively expensive, with Amsterdam among the most expensive cities in the world.
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