Our Addiction to Cars and Roads

avatar

Recently I have been traveling quite a bit in Germany. Mostly visiting friends and some work-related trips. Although I have a car, I prefer riding the train whenever I can.

It is more convenient for me in many aspects. Less stressful, ability to work or read something, the environmental impact, and in some cases also the financial aspect of using public transport is nice.

Although public transport, when done right, can be a great investment for governments, it seems that the Dutch government (where I live), doesn't seem to be interested. At least not enough in my view!

Of course, our public transport works, but in comparison with money invested in roads and car transport infrastructure, we are doing it wrong. In 2019, the Dutch government invested about 11 billion euros in transport. At least 60% of this investment went straight into roads and tarmac.

Meanwhile, in Luxembourg, public transport has been free since 2020. Recently, although the prime underlying reason was different, Germany has been experimenting with a flat rate for public transport. For a period of three months, regional trains (and some busses) could be used for a flat-rate ticket costing just 9 Euro.

I think, especially with the increasing climate change urgency, it is time that we (and with we I mean society as a whole) reevaluate how we invest in transportation. Not to mention air travel and the utopia that is called the electric car.

How are (public) transport and government investment in transport organized in your country? Is it free like in Luxembourg, or is it more like in the Netherlands?

hive-150329 blog climate politics palnet neoxian
0
0
0.000
5 comments
avatar

lol.

europoors be like.

get in the aluminum cans with the rest of us degenerates.

nobody will ever bring a bomb onboard.

there will never be intrusion into your datafile by the transport authority to ensure harmony and high ridership

things will run smooth forever with 150 million migrants and lots of diverse cultures

you'll see, it'll be a utopiaas

lol.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I totally agree, if I take a bus I can't come home anymore after 18:00, and if I visit my grandma I pay almost 50 euros for a normal ticket. That's why my parents always go by car.

But a cool pro: we can take the train with our bicycle and have good bike roads,

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yeah I realized how expensive it was after I had to hand in my student travel card :)

I now have the 40% discount card which makes it a bit better. But imagine it would be free for everyone.

You could visit your grandma everyday without paying a penny :)

0
0
0.000
Reply