Government-enforced budget cuts in public transport are spelling the end of half the bus services in the Netherlands' three major cities. Not just that, ticket prices will go up some 14 to 20 percent, according to calculations by the cities and the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Scrapping bus and tram services seems to be the only way to make the 120 million euro savings wanted by the cabinet. Privatisation of public transport, as proposed by Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz, will only yield 20 million euros in savings. The rest, therefore, must be found elsewhere: 32 million from increased fares, and 68 million from the scrapping of bus services.
Not only will passengers have to pay more for their journeys, they will also have to walk greater distances to their nearest stop: up to 2 kilometres, as opposed to the current 0.4 kilometres.
(rk/as)
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Cutting public transit budgets affects the poor and the elderly - the most vulnerable members of society. Unfortunately it seems to be in fashion, globally, to cut budgets where there really is a need to increase funding. But the global military machine goes merrily on its way.
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