Travelling via public transport will become more expensive in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam next year. Operators in the three largest Dutch cities are expected to raise fare prices by up to 12 percent as the government cuts 110 million euros in subsidies. 

Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam public transport gets more expensive

The Dutch government is planning to cut 110 million euros in subsidies that support public transport operators in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. According to city transport operators RET, HTM and GVB, they have no other choice but to increase ticket prices and possibly even scrap certain routes that are less profitable, like those running late at night.

“About half of our income comes from subsidies and the other half from ticket sales,” the general manager of The Hague transport company HTM Jaap Bierman told Het Parool. “Now that 10 percent of that subsidy is being cut, we have to adjust ticket sales. Otherwise, we will drown.” Ticket prices are expected to go up by 12 percent, affecting travellers who depend on public transport to get to rural areas, work, schools, hospitals and other facilities.

Public transport to become unaffordable for many residents

While the government stated in the coalition agreement that they are committed to making public transport reliable and affordable, cutting subsidies to public transport operators could do the opposite. “What about all those working people in the big cities?" asks GVB CEO Claudia Zuiderwijk while pointing out that many people who work in these cities have to travel from other cities each day.

Using the tram, bus and metro will soon become rather expensive for people earning an average wage. “For many people with crucial professions, public transport will become unaffordable. So you also hit that hard-working Dutch person,” claimed Zuiderwijk. “In Stockholm, where public transport prices were also raised considerably, this led to dire situations. Many groups could no longer afford it. As a result, fare dodging increased enormously. That is not something you want to see in the Netherlands either.”

Not only will it make it more costly for people to travel by public transport, but it could also become more difficult to reach new housing developments and increase traffic congestion as those “who can afford it get back in the car”. Amsterdam already has the worst car traffic in the Netherlands, and this could become even more chaotic as more people get on the roads. 

Directors of the public transport companies are urging the government to reverse the cuts. “There is 2,5 billion euros available to open up new neighbourhoods. They cannot spend all of that,” said Bierman. “With that money, you can prevent these cutbacks, so that good accessibility and affordability are guaranteed.”

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