The five biggest Dutch cities are urging the government to let them ban fatbikes, e-scooters and other motor-powered vehicles from cycle lanes to prevent “total chaos,” the Telegraaf reported on Wednesday.

“Cycle lanes should be a safe place for all cyclists, not just the biggest, strongest and fastest,” the cities’ transport chiefs said in a joint statement to parliament’s infrastructure committee, which is debating road safety on Thursday.

Local authorities have long warned that cycle lanes are overloaded and were not designed for the mix of vehicles and speeds now using them.

In particular, the city officials say in their statement that the current cycle network is not set up to deal with mini electric scooters, the first of which have recently been licenced for use in the Netherlands. International research, they point out, shows that the scooters are less safe than ordinary bikes.

“Councils must be able to move some vehicles, such as large cargo bikes, to the roads and ban other electric vehicles, such as the e-scooter, on a local basis,” the statement said.

The five cities also want parliament to stop approving new “light electric vehicles” and impose a standard 30 kph speed limit in built-up areas.

Parliament backed a motion in 2023 to give councils more powers over cycle lane policy, but no action has been taken since.

Enschede has announced plans to ban fatbikes from the city centre through changes to local bylaws, although legal experts say this will be difficult. But mopeds and super fast e-bikes have been banned from the city centre since 2020.

From 2027, teenagers under 18 will be required by law to wear helmets on e-bikes and fatbikes, the government said last month. The rule could also be extended to other “light electric vehicles” such as e-scooters.