After introduction of free public transport for students, their bicycle use patently decreased and the percentage of student transfers in public transport doubled. In 1995 students cycled approximately 360 million kilometres less than they did in 1990, a decrease of no less than 35 percent! This change from bicycle to public transport is obvious over short distances, in urban transport. Over longer distances public transport does not compete with bicycles, but actually constitutes a good combination.
In the current discussions the issue is always urban transport and the risk of change is enormous. In this case it is not the desirable change from car to public transport, but an undesirable change from bicycle to public transport.
Fietsersbond would prefer a more coherent set of measures to maintain quality of life in towns and allow people to participate in society by:
● promoting cycling with good bicycle facilities, sufficient (free) parking facilities for bicycles and measures to reduce bicycle theft;
● car-limiting measures like e.g. high parking rates and longer travel times for cars in comparison to bicycle and bus;
● quality improvements in public transport;
● specific policies aimed at specific, well-defined target groups that have trouble paying for public transport.