There are fewer and fewer bus stops in Brabant. Over the past five years, the number of bus stops in our province has fallen by 6 percent. The municipality of Loon op Zand surrendered the most bus stops, eight in total. There are now twelve stops in that municipality. In Baarle-Nassau, on the other hand, this has almost doubled, from 12 to 22 stops.
In 2018, Brabant had 2900 bus stops. Five years later, the counter stops at 2740. That means a decrease of 160. This is evident from figures collected by the NOS and the regional broadcasters.
Geffen surrenders bus stops
Another conclusion is that 67 villages have been added all over the country without a bus stop in built-up areas. Geffen, where five thousand people live, still had five bus stops in 2018. Now the bus only stops at a stop next to the A59 motorway, a good one and a half kilometers from the Dorpsplein.
It was recently announced that the executive board of the province wanted to reduce the bus offer for Andel (municipality of Altena). After protests that were even heard in The Hague, the Provincial Executive abandoned this intention. For students and the elderly in particular, every bus stop that is canceled is one too many.
‘Problems for people with low incomes’
The results of the NOS study are in line with those of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency last year. Jeroen Bastiaanssen: “We found that the accessibility of facilities and jobs in the rural area and in villages and urban fringes is limited for those who depend on public transport. Moreover, that accessibility has decreased due to the reduction in public transport. People with low incomes can therefore the quickest to get into trouble.”
How many people are really affected by the disappearance of bus stops is difficult to say. Bert van Wee, professor of transport policy at TU Delft, estimates that less than one percent of bus travelers have been involved in the past five years. “Stops that are canceled are often relatively quiet. Moreover, some people can easily walk to a stop a little further away or transfer to the car or e-bike.”
‘Public transport under pressure’
He acknowledges that the impoverishment can lead to harrowing situations, but also says it is understandable that stops are disappearing. “In rural areas, public transport is under pressure because the number of users is limited. More and more people have a car, more people have an e-bike, you can do your shopping online and talk to your family via Skype. number of places alternatives such as target group transport, subsidized taxis and volunteers.”
An important question is for whom public transport is intended. Meurs: “Do you want to get people out of their cars or do you see public transport as a basic service for people who need it because they don’t own a car or have difficulty walking? You can’t serve both groups at the same time with a regular bus system.”
Look at here the figures per municipality and province.
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