‘The solution to the traffic jam problem lies in public transport’

Mobility•14 apr ’23 12:12Auteur: Jasper Daams

The massive working from home during the corona pandemic had repercussions on the road: people were much less stuck in traffic than before the outbreak of the virus. For a while it seemed that this line could be continued after the virus, but that turns out to be a utopia. We are now in traffic jams more often than before corona. ‘Our habitual patterns are so deeply ingrained that we are now getting back into the car en masse.’

Assistant Professor of Infrastructure Planning at the University of Groningen Tim Busscher observes a development that goes against all theoretical insights. ‘The literature says that people need a shock to become aware of the fact that the car is not always necessary, that you have alternatives. If you had asked me and other experts during the pandemic, we would all have said that corona is that shock. That turns out not to be the case at all. We get back into the car en masse and close at the back of the queue.’

Also read | More traffic jams than in 2019; The Netherlands works less at home

‘We get back into the car en masse and close at the back of the queue’

Tim Busscher, Assistant Professor of Infrastructure Planning at the University of Groningen

The fact that we are more often stuck in traffic can partly be explained by the increased number of cars in the Netherlands, by no less than 400,000 since the pandemic. Busscher acknowledges that this is due to a lack of comfort in public transport (public transport). ‘Public transport has not yet returned 10 to 20 percent of travelers (compared to before corona, ed.). With the corona crisis, the quality of service of the trains has deteriorated so much. In one go there will be a shortened train set and you will have to stand instead of sit. You only have to do that once or twice and then you shoot back into that old behavior.’

The fact that we are more often stuck in traffic can partly be explained by the increased number of cars in the Netherlands, by no less than 400,000 since the pandemic. Busscher acknowledges that this is due to a lack of comfort in public transport (public transport). (Unsplash / Kathy)

Solution

At the same time, Busscher also sees the solution to the congestion problem in public transport, especially since there are few opportunities to improve the road infrastructure. ‘The only space we have left to tinker with infrastructure is in the railways. That is the only solution I see now, investing in rail and in a certain degree of comfort in public transport. So: longer train sets, regularity in the timetable and no more canceled trains. These are all reasons we know that people choose public transport and see it as an alternative to the car.’

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