The proposed far-reaching changes do not fit well with the city's ambitions.
Public transport in Amsterdam is in dire straits. During the corona period, the income of the GVB fell sharply. Amsterdammers and commuters worked at home and tourists stayed away. Added to the increased energy prices, the CFP has to make significant cuts. There is now a plan for public transport that should start in 2024.
The GVB mainly wants to cut back on less busy bus or tram lines that stop at the same stops. In the entire city there should be 2 times 9 stops (there and back). As a result, travelers have to change trains more often, sometimes at a different stop, which means they lose more time. The cutbacks mainly affect the area within the ring road, because many trams and buses run the same parts of a route there. The GVB spares areas outside the ring and above the IJ as much as possible.
Amsterdam wants good public transport for residents and visitors. That is why the municipality wants to guarantee the GVB for an amount of up to 10 million euros. The transport company's plans for 2024 are not yet final, the city council and the city council can still respond. Below are 3 points from the city council's response to the austerity plans.
less frequently
Do not scale down public transport further than necessary. Keep the number of journeys and stops as high as possible. The Executive Board would rather see buses and trams run less often than entire lines go out. The latter is more difficult to reverse.
financially agile
Use every financial windfall to maintain the quality of our public transport and improve it where possible. Be agile when things are going well financially. Make a plan about which cuts can be reversed first and how to do so as soon as possible if revenues are higher than expected. The Board asks the Transport Region (in which 14 municipalities work together in the field of traffic and public transport, ed.) and the GVB to draw up a balance sheet of expenditure and income at a number of fixed times.
postpone adjustments
Do not make major changes to public transport until the new permit for the GVB takes effect at the end of 2024, and only if they are still necessary at that time. The proposed far-reaching changes do not fit well with the city's ambitions. When the new public transport license is granted, there will be time to think about a balanced public transport offer for the coming years.
