Due to Corona, Dutch motorists have been living for over a year now in the paradise of a low traffic jam, accessible in the Netherlands. But if we get vaccinated and pick up the thread again without regulatory intervention, we will be back to square one in no time. That says, in my opinion rightly, the Mobility Alliance, the interest platform of 26 mobility organizations from Rai Vereniging and Fietsersbond to ANWB and Schiphol.
It will soon be over with working from home. For employees it is either too impractical or mentally unhardened, employers want to keep their people close by and keep an eye. The predicted contraction of the lease market could well be of a very temporary nature. So everyone without a restrictive policy will soon be on the road as before, albeit a little less en masse for a while. There lies a corrective task for the government, politicians, employers and employees – that is, for all of us. The alliance provides the first step with a seven-step plan for a better distribution of mobility flows.
I passionately endorse the call. It would be an unforgivable mistake if we missed the opportunity for a major reset after the most dramatic health crisis ever. The traffic jam was a logistical nightmare with dire consequences for the economy, the environment, national mood and public health. Last year it became clear that it could be done differently. We have successfully completed the test phase. The momentum for a turnaround has never been more favorable.
The alliance’s proposals are not very groundbreaking, but they are not very unrealistic either. You just have to run them. Flexibility of working and opening hours; achievable. More often use public transport; achievable. Smarter control of goods flows with better hub infrastructure and clean mobility solutions for the last mile; achievable. More cycling and walking; feasible and desirable.
As a citizen you must be willing to take the first steps yourself. Since I have been living in Groningen, I have been trying to structurally minimize my car use, and that works quite well. This is of course simpler from the city than in the countryside. I’ll jump on the train in a minute. Picking up a test Toyota in Raamsdonksveer is faster by train and bus from Groningen than in the past by car from Drenthe. Stellantis and Tesla, both Amsterdam-Zuidoost, are now easier to reach by public transport than by car.
From Norg I was often forced to take the car to Groningen or Assen. The train was too far away to compete with the Volvos, the bus home late at night a tragedy. Now I do all my shopping on foot or by bike and for most appointments I can do without a car. The city helps, but it’s amazing how many miles you can save with a little planning. Since my move, my private car use has more than halved. Where there is a will there is a way. But it is useful if your boss and the government or, in the countryside, the regional transport companies lend a hand.
That is why that grand master plan that the alliance is calling for really needs to be realized. Then everyone must now quickly put their heads together and dare to make radical decisions. It would be unforgivable if government and society let it get out of hand again due to lack of cooperation and direction.