European Transport Conference
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Ladies and gentlemen,
Even though the Netherlands is only a small country, I could talk for hours about what we are doing in the field of traffic and transport. But don’t worry: I only have fifteen minutes, so I shall limit myself to the challenges facing the Netherlands and outline the solutions we are using to address them.
Let me start with the challenges we face. In the Netherlands, we are proud of our longstanding, strong position in the transport sector. We enjoy this position largely thanks to the Port of Rotterdam and our international airport, Schiphol. This is an economically dynamic, densely-populated country and our roads and railways are getting busier every day. Mobility and access present huge challenges, with implications for both the economy and the environment.
The current government, the fourth under Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s leadership, aims to kill two birds with one stone. We are trying to combine sustainability with economic growth. Through sustainability we want to gain a competitive advantage: in aviation, at Schiphol, in the port of Rotterdam and in the logistics sector.
Of course, mobility is a basic condition for economic growth. The Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management is charged with keeping our country on the move. This means we need to take account, not only of sustainability, but also of safety.
We have a very smart package of measures with which to combat traffic congestion. One of the short-term measures is a traffic jam reduction programme which gives forty projects the chance to demonstrate their worth to Dutch society; the only condition is that they must be simple and quick to implement. One project involves placing screens around accident sites in order to reduce jams by blocking the view of curious motorists. Another introduces ‘road stewards’, responsible for reopening lanes affected by accidents as quickly as possible.
In the longer term, we are implementing a dynamic series of planned road-building and maintenance projects. The goal here is primarily the construction, and effective use, of infrastructure. But as well as these measures, we expect great things from road pricing. In this government’s term of office, the Netherlands will take the first step towards road pricing, a course other European countries will almost certainly follow.
In the past, road pricing has been a political hot potato in the Netherlands. Until recently, there was little public support for it. In 2005, Paul Nouwen, whose presentation follows mine, chaired a platform of civil society organisations that prepared a proposal for the road pricing system. In generating that public support, he and his colleagues achieved a real breakthrough. Paul will speak in detail about road pricing in the Netherlands and in Europe, so I shall present only a brief outline here.
The goal of road pricing in our country is to change the way in which motorists and freight companies pay for road use. In the future, Dutch people will pay for using their cars, not for owning them, as is now the case with motor vehicle tax. Those who drive more will pay more, but the majority of private motorists drive fewer kilometres than the overall average, and so most will be financially better off. This could be the key to building and maintaining public support.
We are currently talking to other authorities and civil society organisations about how the system will be implemented. The price per kilometre will depend on time, place and environmental impact. In other words, not only will motorists pay more on busy roads during rush-hour, they will also pay more to drive a car that pollutes heavily.
As you can imagine, the introduction of road pricing will be a complex process, one that needs to be managed with care. Nonetheless, I believe it will be a valuable instrument for improving mobility. Calculations suggest that road pricing will deliver economic benefits of about twenty six billion euros. It is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between ten and eighteen per cent.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Keeping the Netherlands mobile and accessible is a complex challenge, for which there is no single solution. Taking a combination of measures will make the difference. And the public transport sector can make an enormous contribution. We must, and we shall, find better ways to utilise public transport in the Netherlands.
Around two million commuters use public transport on a typical working day in the Netherlands. Together, they account for about four million journeys by bus, train, tram and metro. The Dutch government is committed to getting more people to use public transport. It is good for mobility and good for the environment.
The government’s coalition agreement contains very clear goals. One of the most important is an annual five per cent increase in rail commuter kilometres. To achieve these goals, we need to keep current users on board, and we need to persuade more people to abandon their cars in favour of public transport. But first we are going to improve the quality of our public transport services.
These are ambitious targets when you consider that railway passenger numbers fell between 2000 and 2003, and only started to rise again in 2004. In the short term, we are using measures which not only make the train a more attractive option but also ensure that we can provide problem-free transport as passenger numbers increase.
Dutch Railways have made a commitment to deliver two and a half per cent growth in passenger numbers each year. To achieve the other two and a half per cent, we are seeking out new ideas for an action plan. This means consulting with a wide variety of groups, including other authorities, passengers, businesses and research institutes.
In the longer term, we believe that large-scale projects will bring the biggest benefits. Both at regional and national level, we are mapping demand and capacity, with a view to raising the quality of our railways. And by increasing the capacity on certain routes, we can increase the frequency of trains.
We are also looking closely at the quality of transport connections. Just imagine bus and tram passengers no longer having to worry about missing their train. Innovation has an important role to play here. Using new technologies, we can provide passengers with up-to-the-minute information about the next stage of their journey. There is a whole range of innovations we can use.
There are other ways to keep the passengers we have and attract new ones, such as offering free or heavily subsidised public transport. In one of the pilot schemes we are running to test these methods, passengers receive a travel card which entitles them to three months of free regional transport. And we’re going further: the days of different tickets for each stage of a journey will soon be over. We are introducing the public transport chip card, a single travel card for use on all forms of public transport.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As I mentioned earlier, our goal, in the Netherlands, is to achieve greater mobility and economic growth, without sacrificing sustainability or safety. So before I finish, let me touch on how we believe we can reconcile these concepts.
The Netherlands subscribes to the agreements on sustainability that have been made at European level. And in some areas, we go even further. We are firmly committed to the European target on CO2 emissions: a twenty per cent reduction by 2020 compared to 1990. And we want to be innovative leaders when it comes to transport technology and alternative fuels. We are also working closely with the business community on reduction targets and innovation. The Netherlands is pressing for international binding agreements on reducing and trading in emissions. We have also made great progress in implementing climate change adaptation measures and water defences. As you can see, our aim is to achieve growth, not by ignoring sustainability principles, but by promoting them.
Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude,
I know that we are not the only country developing a combination of innovative, intelligent measures. In the conference programme, I see that many subjects will be discussed in the coming days from which the Netherlands can learn a great deal. I hope, though, that the policy that I have just described may serve as a useful example to many countries.
I wish you a productive and enjoyable conference. Thank you.