Traffic volume decreased on Tuesday, the first day of the current lockdown, but not nearly as much as during the first lockdown in March. This is reported by the National Road Traffic Data Database (NDW).
Fewer cars drive in particular on the motorways. Last Tuesday, the number of cars on the highway was 18 percent lower than at the beginning of March, when corona measures were not yet in effect. In the weeks before the new lockdown, it was always 15 percent quieter on Tuesday. In that respect, only a 3 percent decrease can be seen due to the lockdown.
The Dutch also took less of the car after the partial lockdown was announced in mid-October and that effect now seems to have intensified. It was even busier on the roads this Tuesday than at the end of March, when the ‘intelligent lockdown’ was announced due to the first corona wave. Then the traffic volume even halved compared to normal.
Rush hour
Although the average traffic volume is now declining less sharply than in March, there is again a strong effect in rush hours. The traffic during rush hours decreased faster than average, by about a quarter compared to the beginning of March. In the evenings an even stronger decline can be seen. According to the NDW, this may be a result of the measures and calls to limit the number of social and recreational trips.
Regional differences
Especially in the normally busiest parts of the country, the decrease in traffic volume is strong. Especially in the northern part of the Randstad. Probably because commuters from outside the Randstad hardly come there anymore. In Groningen, Drenthe, Twente and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the restrictive measures seem to have the least influence.
Traffic density has also decreased on regional roads, but less than on the motorway. “This could be an indication that short distance trips are less affected by the measures than long ones,” writes a researcher from the NDW.