Overview

• The measure took effect Tuesday, making Meerbusch the third NRW city after Düsseldorf and Neuss to enforce such limits.
• Violations are administrative offences punishable by fines up to €1,000, with Ordnungsamt teams increasing patrols along the riverbanks.
• City officials report 25 “person in the Rhine” alarms for the Meerbusch fire department since January 2024, and say the ban should relieve rescue crews.
• The DLRG counts ten deaths in the Rhine in NRW by the end of July 2025, while last year recorded 14 incidents in total, the highest since 2020.
• Cologne has prepared a proposal for a September 4 council vote on a similar prohibition, and Krefeld says it is reviewing its own ordinance.