The Hague introduces €50 flat fee for parking to deter drivers

Surfers at Scheveningen beach in The Hague. The parking measure will in effect give priority to local residents and businesses. Photograph: Sem van der Wal/EPA

Whether for 10 minutes or a whole day, it now costs a flat fee of €50 (£43) to park in certain streets in The Hague, including roads around the popular Scheveningen beach.

The pilot scheme in the Dutch city on the North Sea coast, which will last a year, aims to discourage tourists and visitors from blocking up the historic centre and seaside roads, particularly on sunny days.