The ‘booze bike’, or bierfiets, is under fire in central Amsterdam and 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for it to be banned, broadcaster Nos reports on Wednesday.

‘The bierfiets is a major nuisance for city centre residents,’ the city centre residents’ association says.

Amsterdam has introduced new routes for the bikes and reduced the amount of beer they can carry to 20 litres. Nevertheless, residents say the bikes only attract people who come to the city to party and add nothing to the provisions for ‘real’ tourists.

Some of those signing the petition say they have had beer thrown at them. Others say they have been spat at or that people urinate in the streets.

However, bierfiets owner Ard Karsten told Nos there have only been 24 complaints about the 1,500 bierfiets tours in the city since the beginning of the year. Three companies rent out ‘booze bikes’ in Amsterdam.