A week ago, I went to Rotterdam by public transport. My ticket was €8.50, but my parents paid €20 each. Public transport in the Netherlands is expensive. According to research by a European statistics agency, Dutch public transport is the most expensive in the EU, at 32.5% above the EU average[i]. And even though it is expensive it still made 141 million euros[ii] in losses this year.
Public transport is meant for people who do not have enough money for a car so they can go from point A to point B. But nowadays the NS (Dutch railroads) is a luxury service. Because more people in the Netherlands have a car, the number of vehicles on the highway is at a record high[iii], and public transport is at a record low. Because the NS wants to make a profit, it raises their ticket prices, and therefore customers travel less with public transport. But the intent of it was never to make a profit. Look at the annual figures of 1971: 257 million guilders in losses[iv]. So, we should stop seeing public transport as a business and start seeing it as a necessity, just like water, Wi-Fi and electricity.
Making public transport free will cost a lot of money, but it is possible. The yearly cost of it is four billion euros. And to make it free, we need to cut back on the fossil fuel subsidies that cost the Dutch government 39-46 billion a year[v]. Even if we make public transport free, the government has about forty billion to invest in other things.
Public transport plays an important role in giving equal chances in our society. If someone cannot afford to travel by car to a job interview, that means he cannot get the job, which means he or she stays poor. And free public transport can make these chances more equal. Public transport is also better for the climate change because the carbon emission of trains is 6-8 times less than if you travel by car.
According to Bert van Wee[vi], free public transport does not have any effect on traffic jams, but studies that support his claim are lacking. Luxembourg, the first country to offer free public transport since 2020, has seen an 11% decrease in highway traffic and a 25% increase in public transport[vii]. Making public transport free is not enough for car users to use it. Research shows: Making public transport free along with other rules like making cities car-free and putting higher taxes on petrol and diesel. Will make public transport more appealing, which will reduce traffic on the motorway.
Free public transport may not happen in the next 20 years but making it more affordable is the first step towards a fairer and more sustainable society.
PS: Open word on the desktop app to see the endnotes
[i] https://www.bnnvara.nl/artikelen/moet-het-openbaar-vervoer-in-nederland-gratis-worden
[ii] https://www.nsjaarverslag.nl/search/JV2024_000
[iii] https://autorai.nl/cbs-recordaantal-voertuigen-op-nederlandse-wegen/
[iv]https://www.digibron.nl/viewer/collectie/Digibron/id/tag%3ARD.nl%2C19720620%3Anewsml_ca8a1580f1db0516d3b0dc3930f2e53a
[v] https://nos.nl/artikel/2490599-fossiele-sector-krijgt-tussen-39-7-en-46-4-miljard-euro-subsidie-nog-meer-dan-gedacht
[vi] https://nos.nl/artikel/2262299-gratis-ov-enorm-duur-nauwelijks-effect-en-onhaalbaar-voor-nederland
[vii] https://propertyweb.lu/en/insights/les-transports-publics-sont-gratuits-au-luxembourg/313