Netherlands heading toward more bumper-to-bumper traffic, travelers' assoc. says

The Netherlands' roads are becoming busier and busier, and there is no relief in sight, according to the ANWB. Every year, hundreds of thousands of cars are added to the Dutch fleet, and more people are using the car due to staff shortages in public transport, the association for travelers and traffic information said to De Telegraaf.

There are currently about 9 million vehicles in the Netherlands. And people more often use the car at the same time, Arnoud Broekhuis of the ANWB said. “That means that we drive bumper to bumper more often.”

And that situation is here to stay, for the time being at least. “Because the personnel problems at the train and bus companies mean that the timetables are stripped further,” Broekhuis said. People increasingly opt for the car for certainty. They don’t want to get stuck somewhere because their train got canceled. “The car is just about the only alternative for the longer distances.”

The quieter roads during the coronavirus lockdown are now a thing of the past, according to the ANWB. Traffic levels returned to normal or worse in mid-March. Almost every rush hour sees 300 to 400 kilometers of traffic jams, the ANWB said.