It has become busier on Dutch roads now that more people are back at work. A spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat said this to NU.nl on Tuesday. Last week, road traffic was at about two-thirds of its normal intensity.
Rijkswaterstaat does indicate that, barring incidents, it is still possible to drive everywhere. “During the morning and afternoon rush hour, we saw more traffic on the highways again in recent days, but traffic can continue as usual. If a traffic jam arises, it is for example due to an accident or breakdown,” said a spokesman. Rijkswaterstaat does not blame traffic jams for increased crowds in a general sense.
Compared to the last week of March, when it was quietest on the Dutch highways, the so-called intensity last week was 31 percent higher. By intensity is meant the number of cars or vehicles that pass a measuring point. In the working week through March 27, it was 50 to 60 percent quieter than normal on some highways.
The percentages correspond to the percentage of people who work from home and continue to do so. A study by Maurice de Hond on Tuesday commissioned by the RAI Association shows that 56 percent of the respondents have been working from home since the start of the corona outbreak. That is still the case for 38 percent of the respondents.
Since Monday, many so-called contact professions have been allowed to return to work, such as hairdressers, but also nail stylists and beauticians. According to Rijkswaterstaat, it is still too early to indicate any possible effects of this on traffic.
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