Public transport and bicycles are not a good alternative to the car for millions of Dutch people. Outside the Randstad and the major cities, work and facilities are often difficult to reach without a car, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency concludes in a new report that will be published on Monday.
Researchers from the PBL have developed new accessibility indicators, which can be used to better map access to work and facilities. The conclusion is that the car is by far the most optimal means of transport, even during rush hour.
Three in ten elderly people in our country cannot reach any hospital or outpatient clinic within half an hour without a car, and more than one in ten cannot reach them within 45 minutes. Many secondary school students have to cycle for a long time to reach a havo or vwo. This severely hinders young people’s choice of school.
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Whatever they come up with, they can’t get me on public transport
‘People who (have to) use public transport and bicycle experience a much lower level of accessibility’, the PBL writes. ‘Especially in many urban fringes, in the suburban centers and in rural areas. In addition, public transport accessibility decreases during off-peak hours and at the weekend when service frequencies are lower’.
Public transport is usually sufficient in the Randstad. ‘In the Randstad conurbation and in the cities, the greater proximity to facilities and jobs clearly outweighs the average lower travel speeds’, says the PBL.
Starting points
With the research, the PBL hopes to offer the cabinet and politicians better starting points for mobility policy. “By providing insight at the neighborhood level into access to jobs, healthcare, education and shops with different modes of transport, policymakers can make better decisions,” says PBL researcher Jeroen Bastiaanssen.
According to the PBL, the focus of the cabinet and governments in mobility policy is now often too much on combating traffic jams and promoting traffic flow. “However, one of the most important objectives of transport policy is to facilitate people’s access to jobs, facilities and social contacts,” says Bastiaanssen.
As a result of the research, politicians could consider the desirability of a minimum level of accessibility. The results of the PBL study can further contribute to the evaluation of transport and spatial policy.
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