Amsterdam’s city council is to hike the cost of parking in an effort to discourage visitors from bringing their cars to the city centre.

The cost of parking in the central area will go up from €5 an hour to €7.50 an hour from January 1 and up to €6 an hour in areas surrounding the city centre as well as the Zuidas business district.

‘Not everyone will be happy with the increase but it is needed to keep the city habitable and accessible, as well as to create more room for pedestrians, cyclists and greenery,’ transport alderman Sharon Dijksma told the Parool.

‘The extra income will be used to invest in mobility and improving local public transport,’ Dijksma said. She said she has no plans, as yet, to put up the cost of a resident’s parking permit.

The increase means Amsterdam is by far the most expensive place to park in the Netherlands. In Utrecht, a hour in the city centre costs around €4.70 and in Rotterdam €4.

According to the Parool, Amsterdam will be more expensive to park in than any other big European city, apart from London.

City officials will publish more plans to reduce car use in the Dutch capital in the second half of next year.