Amsterdam public transport will not be scaled down for now, says alderman

Public transport in Amsterdam does not need to be scaled down on a large scale, because of financial contributions from Vervoerregio Amsterdam, the regional transport authority, and the national government, which has set up a temporary aid scheme. The city's alderman for traffic and transport, Melanie van der Horst from D66, confirmed this on Wednesday.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of travelers in Amsterdam public transport fell drastically, and it has not yet returned to the old level. Currently, the number of passengers is at 80 percent of what it was before the coronavirus period.

Earlier this year, the city's public transport company, GVB, feared a reduction in the number of metros, buses and trams, but that has been averted, at least for the time being. The public transport network will remain at the same level in the first half of next year, according to Van der Horst. The state aid scheme stipulates that the carriers must be able to operate without the financial assistance from 2024.

There are still some uncertain factors, said the alderman. For example, the GVB is struggling with rising energy costs due to the electricity consumption required by the tram and metro systems. There may be a slight reduction in the timetable to contend with other issues related to scheduling.