The declining passenger numbers are used by the municipality to invest in public transport itself. Alderman Sharon Dijksma sees this “corona package” as an “excellent” opportunity to implement changes.
Dijksma, traffic alderman in Amsterdam and in that position also chairman of the Transport Region, announced on Monday that Amsterdam and the surrounding municipalities are investing 235 million euros in electric buses, among other things. This should prepare public transport for the future.
The fact that the government itself invests in public transport is a break with the policy whereby public transport companies must keep their own pants up. According to the agreements made by the Transport Region, these companies are increasingly dependent on passenger income and less on a contribution from the government.
Corona crisis
Because passenger numbers plummeted during the corona crisis, while buses and trams were forced to continue, the public transport companies became acutely in need of money. They received state aid from The Hague, but projects related to sustainability and safety ran into difficulties.
Dijksma has never made it a secret that she considers public transport to be so important as a public facility that the government should take matters into its own hands again. According to her, the traffic and public transport system will never be the way it was after corona. “That’s okay. In fact, that’s fine. It gives us a unique opportunity to implement necessary changes in order to make mobility in the region future-proof. ”
Electric buses
According to Dijksma, the approach to the immense congestion and emission price of transport has been considered for some time. “The ideas were there, but the time now calls for action and countercyclical investments to improve the accessibility of the region, which deserves it.”
A large part of the available 235 million euros will go to converting bus transport. For example, a whole series of GVB buses are fully funded by the government through the package. All kinds of infrastructure projects, such as the renewal of the area for CS, can now also be brought forward.
