Amsterdam offering free public transport for children under 12 this summer

All children in Amsterdam between the ages of 4 and 11 will have the possibility to travel for free on the city's public transport system starting July 22, the municipality announced on Tuesday. The scheme includes buses, trams, and metros run by Amsterdam public transport company GVB, and will continue until November 30. Public transport is already free for children under four years of age.

This initiative is aimed at enhancing the accessibility and affordability of public transport for families in Amsterdam. Melanie van der Horst, the Amsterdam alderman in charge of traffic and transport, explained that many families often do not travel beyond their own neighborhoods. “I hope this action will give them a nice summer vacation and the chance to broaden their horizons,” she stated.

The scheme also aims to boost the usage of public transport in the city. She noted that the passenger count has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic levels, arguing that to maintain the public transport network, it would be greatly beneficial if more people use trams, metros, and buses.

People can apply for the travel product from July 1, which can be added to a personal OV-chipkaart, the national public transport payment system. Extra support will be provided to assist those who struggle with online applications. Children must always be accompanied by an adult while traveling with this travel product.

This initiative follows a proposal put forward by the PvdA during last year's budget. The initial plan aimed to provide free public transportation to all children up to 11 years old on Saturdays. The city council allocated one million euros for this plan, “but it proved possible to expand the number of days considerably,” the city said.

The initiative comes at a crucial time, as public transport prices are significantly increasing. The public transport tariffs of regional carriers will rise sharply this year, by an average of 7.24 percent, according to Vervoerregio Amsterdam, the greater Amsterdam public transport system. The higher prices are partly caused by higher energy costs and inflation.

At the beginning of May, a new free public transport scheme for low-income Amsterdam residents was launched in the greater Amsterdam area. These tickets grant one and a half hours of travel on buses, trams, and metros throughout the Vervoerregio Amsterdam network.