28/05/2026

LYFE THURSDAY | MAY 28, 2026

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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Amsterdam slams brakes on ‘fatbikes’ F AST, fashionable mode of transport for some, scourge of the cycle path for others: In bike-mad Amsterdam, interview in the park. Aside from the nuisance value, there is a safety aspect, given the fatbikes’ popularity among children, added the official. o Bicycles with thick tyres seen as unsafe menace by many, amid calls for regulation

complaints about “fatbikes” have driven authorities to impose an unprecedented ban in one of the city’s top parks. Hugely popular with children, fatbikes – so called for their ultra thick tyres – are electric bikes that look like squat motorcycles and can reach speeds of up to 60km/h. Competing for space on busy cycle paths in the famously flat Netherlands, many classic cyclists see fatbikes as a menace due to their superior speed and size. Complaints of “fatbike gangs” of youths tearing around Dutch cities and causing havoc are also commonplace. A petition against “aggressive fatbikers” in Amsterdam has garnered around 2,400 signatures, complaining: “Pavements are racetracks. Public space no longer feels safe.” So, city authorities have decided to ban them in the Vondelpark, a busy park that attracts locals and hordes of tourists on hire bikes or roller skates. “We get a huge amount of complaints. A few years ago, we only got around 20 complaints about fatbikes. Now we have more than 2,000,” Melanie van der Horst, the Amsterdam city official who introduced the ban, told AFP in an FINLAND’S capital Helsinki has spent billions of euros on public transport and bicycle lanes – and plans more – despite mixed reactions from residents. In April, about 50,000 people turned out for the opening of a scenic 1.2km bridge – Finland’s longest – linking the inner city to nearby islands and reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and trams. But others have been unimpressed by the lack of car lanes and the €326 million (RM1.5 billion) price tag, which also covered two adjacent bridges and tramway investments on top of billions already spent over the past decade on transport and cycling infrastructure. “Like with all urban development projects, you always have people opposing it and people in favour of it... The biggest argument for opposing this bridge was the big price tag on it,” Helsinki’s bicycle traffic team leader Oskari Kaupinmaki told Reuters. Helsinki has around 1,300km of cycle paths, including 100km of “bicycle superhighway network”, which the city plans to expand by another 80km by 2029, Kaupinmaki said. So far, however, the investments have not boosted cycling in the Nordic capital on the Baltic coast where winters are harsh and winds often biting.

Fatbikes are supposed to have a maximum speed of around 25km/h, but they are often illegally souped up to reach anywhere between 50km/h and 60km/h. “Imagine an 11-year-old child driving around town at 50km/h on a big, souped-up fatbike. It’s extremely dangerous,” said van der Horst. Children have been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after fatbike accidents, she said, including brain injuries and torn knee ligaments. “Doctors say it is the same level of impact as a motorcycle accident.” ‘Goes very fast’ Visitors to the Vondelpark generally welcomed the ban, with a healthy dollop of the liberal scepticism for which Amsterdam is world-famous. “I don’t think you should ban anything but I do believe they should have started maybe by banning kids under a certain age... because I think that’s the biggest issue. For the park and the people who just want to have peace, I think it’s a good thing,” said Aleksandar Rankovic, a 47-year-old football coach. Tanja Meuris, who has recently moved into the area, also welcomed the ban but admitted she did not see

Fatbikes are seen by many as the scourge of the cycle path. – AFPPIC

the Netherlands, have also taken action against fatbikes, banning them in the city centre. “We’ve never seen anything like this before. That’s why, to protect our children, I would like to see a national law passed. “I would actually just like to get to a situation where children, especially the youngest ones, are simply not allowed to ride these bikes,” said van der Horst.

be hit in the wallet. People over 16 will have to pay a fine of €115 (RM530). Children between 12 and 15 pay half that. Children under 12 get away without having to pay the fine but their parents are informed. Amsterdam authorities are keeping a close eye on the effects of the ban, which could potentially be extended to other parts of the capital. Officials in Enschede, in the east of

the difference between a fatbike and a classic electric bike. “I have an electric bike myself and I think this thing goes very fast and it can be dangerous if not handled well,” said Meuris, 27, a psychologist. Officially introduced on May 11, the ban applies to all fatbikes with an electric motor and whose tyres are more than 7cm wide. From next week, anyone caught riding a fatbike in the Vondelpark will

Helsinki’s costly cycling push draws crowds, criticism from citizenry

Kaupinmaki rides his bicycle in Helsinki. – PICS FROM REUTERS

leading opponent of the bridge, said he had “criticised the project’s price tag and the realism of the budget”, which kept growing over the years, but conceded he was pleased with the “impressive” result. So was Johanna Jarvinen, a musician and a cyclist, who lives on an island the new bridges now connect to the inner city. “In the summer, when it’s less windy, it’ll be like 10 minutes off my commute, so (that’s) very nice,” she said.

Cycling’s share of transport has stayed flat at roughly 9% to 11% since 2010, Kaupinmaki said. “The reason for that is that we haven’t completed the network yet,”he said. Other projects include a major tram network expansion and a plan approved last week to close one of the central streets in front of the main railway station to cars, prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. City councillor Marcus Rantala, a

Kruunuvuori bridge is Finland’s longest and highest bridge.