The stricter alcohol policy in Meppel is welcomed by hospitality entrepreneurs in the city center. Since July 5, people have been fined who drink alcohol on the street. It resulted in dozens of fines for the past two weekends.
With a stricter alcohol policy, Meppel wants to prevent nuisance in the center and at the station area. Drinking a beer or wine in the pub or on the terrace is still possible, but if you do that on the public road, then a fine of 110 euros threatens.
“It is no more than normal for you to stay in the hospitality industry with your drink. The cosiness should play inside,” says Gilijan van Egten of Herberg ‘t Plein. Together with his colleagues, he has recently pointed out the entertainment crowd on the sharpened checks. “Of course, drinking on the street was forbidden, but we have informed people that they now also risk a fine. I think most people understand the checks.”
In the first weekend, thirty people in Meppel were hurled up for drinking alcohol on the street. Last weekend another sixteen fines followed. “I expected these numbers, that is no surprise,” says Van Egten. “You see that it is already going, that’s a good sign. I think the Meppeler nightlife gets used to it quickly.”
According to Van Egten, the drinks that people drink on the street or on the square are not exclusively from the hospitality industry. “Many young people in particular take their alcohol from home. That also caused problems in Meppel in the past. It is a nice by -catch that that trend is now also stopped. That’s how we make it even more fun in the city center.”
Horeca entrepreneur Maarten van Oosten, owner of cafés De Pulp and De Kasteleyn and restaurant Meaters in Meppel, was in the beginning skeptical about the new measure. “I thought: this is a new rule, purely for arranging it. But the municipality has well consulted and made clear what goal it had. In the meantime we actually notice that it is effective. We are very happy with it.”
Van Oosten introduced the ban a little earlier in its catering establishments, without being officially maintained. “We started a little earlier to create a start -up period and let our guests get used to the idea.”
According to Van Oosten, his guests were quickly used to the ban. “I think thirty and sixteen fines are not too bad, normally there are 1500 guests with drinks on the street.” The effect immediately visible, according to Van Oosten.
“We had quite a lot of nuisance on the street, it was actually one big open -air pub. Now you see people going outside for a cigarette. They then go inside again. That causes less misery and we see that it flows fuller inside. Now it is a matter of maintaining enforcement.”