Cabinet to cut €110 million from budget for public transport in three major cities

The public transport in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague will have to make do with 110 million euros less from 2026. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management after initial reporting by the AD. Although the reported cuts will not be implemented until over a year from now, the regions should expect to have to take the shrinking budget into account next year.

Money meant explicitly for public transport in and around the cities will be transferred to a general fund for provinces and municipalities. This is intended to reduce administrative burdens. However, this transfer will come with a 10 percent cut, already stated in the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB's coalition agreement. There was a budget of around 1.1 billion euros for the two transport regions of Amsterdam and Rotterdam-The Hague.

AD reported that the two regions will send an urgent letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament. "I have told the transport regions that I share their concerns about the consequences of this measure for public transport in the transport regions," said state Secretary Chris Jansen (Infrastructure and the Environment) in a statement. "My ministry and interior affairs are now in talks with the transport regions about the measures and their consequences."

The transport regions want the Cabinet to reverse their decision. They added that the cuts will affect vulnerable groups like schoolchildren, students, and parents who are dependent on public transport.

It could also lead to fewer buses running in the region. "There are plans to build 400,000 homes in the metropool regions in the coming years. Homes that need to be easily reachable. Good transport options are essential for this," said Jan van Zanen, chairman of the Metropool region Rotterdam The Hague and mayor of The Hague. "Cuts in public transport means compromising accessibility and a serious threat to the realization of these homes. We cannot let that happen."

According to Melanie van der Horst, chair of the Amsterdam Regional Transport Authority, public transport is already too expensive for many people. "The announced budget cuts and possible price increases that will follow will further pressurize these people's freedom of movement," the Amsterdam alderwoman added.

"It means that more and more people will struggle to get to a job interview, school, family, or hospital visit using public transport. This cannot be the intention." She added that residents of municipalities in the region like Diemen, Purmerend, and Volendam will be most disadvantaged by the budget cuts. "While the coalition actually wanted to free up extra money for public transport in the region."

Alderman for The Hague Arjen Kapteijns (mobility) is also concerned about the announced cuts. He claimed that it will lead to more expensive tickets and worse service. "These budget cuts are an inappropriate measure since the resources for public transport are not a specific benefit for which the 10 percent discount was intended," he said.