More Dutch towns plan New Year firework restrictions

At least 19 towns and cities in the Netherlands are imposing partial firework bans during this year’s New Year celebrations, website nu.nl said on Sunday.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Hilversum said earlier they will impose some restrictions and Den Helder, Vlaardingen, Vianen, Barendrecht, Geldermalsen and Terschelling are among the local councils with similar plans.

Nu.nl asked all 403 local authority areas in the Netherlands about position on fireworks during the New Year festivities. Of them, 257 said they would not impose any restrictions. They include The Hague, Utrecht, Groningen, Tilburg and Almere.

The restrictions are mainly being imposed in areas around shopping centres, care homes, listed building and areas where there are a lot of animals, nu.nl said. Six councils are still considering imposing a partial ban.

This year, 800 people were arrested during the New Year festivities and damage to private property was put at €9m. There has been mounting pressure on parliament to ban the sale of fireworks to ordinary citizens.

The government has, however, reduced the official window for setting of fireworks to 18.00 hours on December 31 to 02.00 hours on January 1.