Environment, Planning and Transport Committee (March 2000 - April 2003)

Review of Public Transport

VISIT TO AMSTERDAM

Friday, 9 February, 2001

Rapporteur’s Report Back and Notes

VisitThe Department for Infrastructure, Traffic and Transportation, of the City of Amsterdam, was visited in the morning session. We were met by Ton Buffing, of the Department, who went through the organisation, arrangements, history, present position and proposals for public transport in the City. Considerable background material and a dossier had been prepared for each of us, which we brought away with us.In the afternoon, the Expert Adviser led a fact-finding tour of the public transport system, where we were able to see the elements operate in practice.These notes can be read alongside the Adviser’s Visit Notes and the Internet pages on transport included in Member’s visit folder.FindingsThe purpose of the Department, which was set up in 1997, and covers roles formerly undertaken by the City Surveillance Department, Planning Department, and Municipal Service of Public Domain Management. Therefore the new Department covered :-

• Strategy and policy
• Major projects
• The new north / south line
• Management of the system
• The Strategy function, performed by Ton Buffing, was described as :-
• Research traffic patterns and demands in Amsterdam
• Propose the most efficient ways of moving people
• Policy to support this
• Budget to support this

The Management function covered maintenance of all transport primary infrastructure in the City, and all engineering works. All traffic control, systems, lights, electronic signs, and car park controls, in addition to traffic flow and control on the comprehensive waterway system fall to this Unit. Financing and control of major project implementation is done here also.A policy guiding principle is that the People of Amsterdam be encouraged, by various means not to use cars for their short distance requirements within the City. This meant that there should be sufficient bus, tram and metro provision, safe and frequent public transport, with good interchange and good cycle routes.Issues Discussed

• Management arrangements are complicated
• New law last year will lead to introduction of market forces to part of the system
• This will affect municipal transport, where the operating company, GVB, has been owned by the City since 1900.
• For the first 50 years, all costs covered by revenues
• Since then, State (National) subsidy injected at ever increasing rates.
• Present position is that 38% of costs covered by revenues, 62% by subsidy
• First target is to change this to 50% / 50% balance
• Second target to reduce subsidy to 42% by 2010
• Subsidy reduction is a long haul and will not be achieved overnight!
• New rule that owner of system and operator cannot be the same
• This new arrangement has led to setting up the new Department, and developing "arms length" relationship between the operating arm (GVB) and the City "procurers" of services (i.e. the new Department)
• In the interim, GVB acts as Adviser to the City, but must soon be free standing
• GVB covers all bus, tram and metro operations
• There is no proposal to split these up
• Union negotiations are underway, and some problems encountered. These only likely to be overcome if GVB remains intact as one entity
• By 2003 / 4, 33% of all bus traffic to be tendered.
• Car level reductions are part of the policy
• Amsterdam and most Dutch cities have increasing car pressures, levels of public services static or declining
• Accepted need to intervene to restore position
• Referenda on traffic levels, calming, and parking policy, including prices
• Looking, with public support, to further 30 - 40% reduction in car traffic in urban Amsterdam
• Car ownership rising in Holland, idea is to influence different car usage
• Amsterdam traffic policy has strong connection with physical (land use) planning. City has three zones for locational planning:-

A PublicTransport accessible (Inner Area - about 10% of City)B Public Transport plus car accessible (about 20% of City) C Car accessibility only (remainder of City, mainly industrial, outer commercial, outer residential)

• Amsterdam Centre parking policy of only one car parking space per 10 workers
• Strong promotion of public transport allied to 50% increases in car parking charges next year
• Road pricing will be the next stage
• Most residential areas connected by PT. Dutch housing densities much higher than the UK
• Since 1920’s, suburbs designed for PT
• Central business district (CBD) has developed outside historic city centre. Satellite "CBD’s" connected to centre by Metro
• Suburban centre built around metro and PT considerations since day 1
• PT available at same time as occupation of first developments (UK and Wales compares very badly in this respect - think of LG?)
• Urban green space ("lungs") doubled in last 30 years
• Promote concept of compact city
• Water transport slow and mainly tourist based. Environmental speed limits in place. Many moored houseboats.
• Some experimentation with longer distance commuting e.g. Idjmuiden to Central Station
• Consultations on change of ownership position - public not really interested - just want good PT services whoever operates them
• The State provides all major investment, with the City providing small investment programmes on issues like signals, bus lanes etc
• Government policies cover concessionary fares, zonal fares structures covering the whole nation and nationally applied interticketting. The "Strippenkarten" were demonstrated and we saw examples in the afternoon
• Strippenkarten apply to all transport forms apart from State Rail, and are applicable and interchangeable nationwide
• Moves are being made to electronic systems (Zeeland)- Smartcard experiments are underway (Amsterdam)
• Under 12’s and over 65’s travel at half fare, "scholars" (12-18) have 25% discounts, and students (over 18) can elect for free cards, choosing either weekend or weekday travel for this concession, but not both.
• Policy position is that bus travellers and cyclists must experience demonstrably lower costs than car drivers, as part of the persuasion exercise
• Rural areas do not register largely in Amsterdam, and little positive is done, other than trying to keep basic levels of PT service going
• In tendering, level of service is specified by City, and seems similar to the idea of local bus franchising in the UK
• New tram lines are to be built by the City, who will retain ownership, then handed over to the operator to maintain, under their agreement
• Hence - Government finances new lines - City specifies and procures - the operator operates
• "policing" a current problem which they are addressing - up to 40% non payers in their "open" system (i.e. without barriers cf London Underground)
• Now introducing barriers on Metro lines. State is paying for additional control measures
• Negotiations between the transport company and State regarding finance for Smartcards and their operation. State will pay.
• Systems specification, control and monitoring by the City
• State / City negotiations about traffic reduction targets, and subsidy reduction timetable
• No separate Regulator in Holland - City will regulate system
• Pollution stated to be a lesser problem than 10 years ago, mainly due to emission improvements
• Probing on this however, showed a far greater enforcement effort on emissions and vehicle standards in Holland, and reflected the far higher proportion of people travelling by PT in central Amsterdam (over 60%) compared to, say, Cardiff (our highest) at a mere 13% on PT
• CO2 regarded as the main problem, as part of transport’s contribution to global warming
• New ideas for the future include :-
  • • land use planning concentrating upon interchange modes and new development in the southern area
    • cycling - how to carry on various forms - 50% price on buses, provision for carriage on new tram lines, experimentation with a "bike bus"
    • Park and ride for bikes (5000 new places at Central Station)
    • Thought about enhance vehicle specification in new tendering process

 

Rapporteurs: Geraint Davies (Spokesperson) Mick BatesKaren SinclairRhodri Glyn Thomas Expert Adviser: Denys Morgan