On Tuesday 10 June at 8:45 a.m., a wake-up call will sound in public transport in the Amsterdam and Rotterdam-The Hague regions. Buses and trams will honk their horns for twenty seconds. With this action, the Amsterdam Transport Region, the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region (MRDH) and transport operators EBS, GVB, HTM and RET are sending a loud and clear message: the proposed cuts of 335 million euros to public transport must be scrapped.
Jan van Zanen, chairman of the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region: ‘These cuts must be reversed. Less public transport means more traffic jams. More expensive public transport means that it becomes unaffordable for hard-working Dutch people, the elderly, students and people with disabilities.’ Melanie van der Horst, chair of the Amsterdam Transport Region: ‘If we don’t wake up now, these cuts will quietly go through. That would be disastrous for the Netherlands. Politicians now have an excellent opportunity to undo this mistake in the Spring Memorandum.’
Consequences of the cuts
The cuts, which are still planned despite the fall of the cabinet, will have far-reaching consequences. Up to 20% of public transport is at risk of disappearing and ticket prices will rise sharply. This will not only affect people’s accessibility, but also jeopardise the construction of 300,000 homes. “Without good public transport, people become isolated. It becomes more difficult to get to work, school and healthcare facilities, or to visit friends and family. If all that disappears, people’s freedom of movement is restricted, loneliness increases and transport poverty worsens. Public transport becomes unreliable and, for some, unaffordable. These cuts are therefore a very bad idea,” says Melanie van der Horst.
20-second wake-up call
On 10 June during the morning rush hour, buses and trams that are at central locations in both transport regions at 8:45 a.m. will honk their horns for twenty seconds. This symbolic action is intended as a “wake-up call” to politicians, to make it clear that the cuts to public transport must be reversed. Passengers will be informed in advance via travel information apps, messages on DRIS panels, displays in vehicles, stop signs and announcements at stations.
Standstill
Previously, metros, trams and buses in both transport regions stood still for 110 seconds. This symbolised the 110 million euro cut in public transport in the two transport regions. Van der Horst: ‘Add to that the cut in the student travel product, and you end up with a total cut of 335 million euro for the whole of the Netherlands. To make matters worse, there are threats of further cuts. If the outgoing cabinet’s plans go ahead, the budget for Infrastructure and Water Management will no longer grow in line with inflation. Van Zanen: ‘With this action, we are sending a clear signal: stop the cuts. Don’t put public transport in reverse. Politicians are leaving hundreds of thousands of people out in the cold.’
Spring Memorandum debate
The protest is taking place in the week that the House of Representatives and the outgoing cabinet are debating the 2025 Spring Memorandum. During that debate, a decision may still be made to reverse the cuts. If that does not happen, more serious action will follow.
Text: Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag, Translation The Hague Online
Image: The Hague Online