The car in and outside the Randstad

The future of the car in and outside the Randstad

The Randstad is becoming less and less car-friendly. Influenced by concerns about climate change, car use is no longer always taken for granted here. For example, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam have already introduced environmental zones. You are not welcome there with your car, moped or scooter if it produces too much air pollution. Incidentally, the criteria vary by city. The Hague and Leiden are currently planning an environmental zone.

The ambitions sometimes reach even further. Amsterdam wants to make the inner city car-free as much as possible in the near future. One of the measures to achieve this is increasing the cost of parking.

Less dense public transit network

To a limited extent, environmental politics are also having an effect outside the Randstad. Arnhem has already banned polluting diesel cars in the city center, and Maastricht and Nijmegen are planning to ban older polluting vehicles. In other municipalities, environmental plans are often less advanced.

This seems consistent with figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), which show that car ownership is relatively higher outside major cities. The reason is obvious: 'in the provinces' there are generally more parking spaces, distances are greater, and the public transit network is less dense.

However, national policies outside the Randstad may have an impact on car use. For example, recently, on 3 highways around the Veluwe area of natural beauty, driving 130 kilometers per hour is no longer allowed. The speed limit has been reduced to 120 kilometers per hour. It is hoped that this intervention by Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works Van Nieuwenhuizen will reduce nitrogen emissions.

Speed limit down?

Although the details are still unclear, the fight against nitrogen will affect motorists nationwide in the coming years. It is up to the Cabinet to determine whether the speed limit on national and provincial roads will actually be reduced, as recommended by the Remkes Committee. Despite this expected measure, criticized by the ANWB and others, the car will remain the main mode of transportation outside the Randstad; there is simply no good alternative.

Looking at the four major cities, the era when every employee had their own car is definitely over. For sustainability reasons, because of costs, but also because of crowded inner cities, alternatives are increasingly being chosen.

Rise of the shared car

The shared car is on the rise. This is a promising development, but in the business market, choice and coverage are still disappointing. Those looking for a cost-effective yet flexible way to drive for business will logically turn to rental cars.

A big advantage of renting is that the business driver can always pick from the latest car models in terms of innovation and sustainability. Complicated scheduling, created in part by a scarcity of parking space, are also eliminated by choosing to rent. Finally, a car rental company takes a lot of administrative hassle off your hands.