New Antwerp parking rules: Antwerp alderman for mobility answers all your questions!

Which area exactly are we talking about?

"It’s the old heart of the city: the 16th-century inner city of Antwerp: inside the Leien. To the north the area is bounded by the Brouwersvliet and Ankerrui and to the south by the Scheldestraat and Kronenburgstraat," says Antwerp alderman for mobility Koen Kennis.

2. Can you still get a parking permit if you have to be in the city centre for your job?

"No, visitors to the city, but also commuters should use the public car parks in the city centre as much as possible. We feel that there is an awful lot of pressure on the city centre when it comes to finding a spot to park your car. We want groups like visitors and commuters to focus more on public car parks."

"We have been promoting the 'modal shift' for some time: we ask employees working in and around the city to look at alternatives as much as possible. Cycling, for example: we have become a cycling capital in that respect."

"And those who do come by car should either find a solution at the company where they work, or in a public car park."

3. What if a handyman or woman needs to drop by and work at my house?

"For this type of businessman or woman, and also for care staff, there are exceptions. They will have to purchase an entrepreneur’s card or carer’s card: then they can use the parking spaces above ground, though they will need to pay.  We want residents to still be able to let people like that visit their homes."

4. What about people with a disabled card?

"They can still park in the designated spaces in the city. If they also want to park in other places, they do have to register their number plate and disabled card."

5. Residents can apply for parking time for visitors: how does that work?

"People with residents' cards will be able to register with the MPA, Mobility and Parking Antwerp, a municipal company. You can get up to a maximum of 90 hours per quarter for visitors."

"Like today people will have to pay. Payment will only be required between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. People will be able to arrange this digitally in a very flexible way."

6. Do these parking regulations also apply to motorcyclists?

"For motorcyclists, nothing will change for the time being, if they observe the rules."

7.  Won't the area around Antwerp, the zone just outside the one with a street parking ban for non-residents, become too crowded?

"We have already introduced the red zone within the Leien. We have made sure that in the zones adjacent to it, parking is limited to 3 hours. Anyway, that is too short for visitors and commuters. In this way, we have already removed the excess pressure."

"For long-term parking, it is more attractive to park in underground car parks."

8. How will the city monitor the situation?

"We have our parking attendants, but also scanning trucks. We are also increasing their number. People flouting the parking rules will be charged."

9. Is free parking on Sundays and on public holidays in Antwerp city centre a thing of the past?

"Yes, even on Sundays and holidays people will be directed to the city's public car parks and park-and-rides. I also recommend taking the train to Antwerp, because you arrive at the most beautiful station in the world and you are directly in the city centre."

10. It all starts on 1 August, but is there still a run-in period?

"It starts on 1 August, but the first month we will still mainly draw people’s attention to the rules."