It's great that a cyclist is going to lead Rover. Sustainability and climate are central themes in her life. On Saturday, November 21, the members of Traveler Association Rover elected a new chairman at the General Members Meeting. Saskia Kluit has been nominated by the board, there were no opponents. Current chairman Walter Etty had been elected twice for the one-year term, a term that has now passed.
Saskia Kluit (47) has worked for the Fietsersbond for the past 11 years, the last 5 years as director. She recently left the Fietsersbond, so there is nothing to prevent her from starting as chairman of Rover. Saskia has experience in several boards. She was chairman of the Dutch Cycling Embassy and founder of Energie-U, a cooperative association that helps Utrecht residents to save energy and generate their own energy. In addition, she has been a Senator in the Senate on behalf of GroenLinks since May.
Almost every cyclist is also an avid user of public transport. She also makes extensive use of the train in addition to the bicycle. She believes that public transport travelers deserve a strong advocate and is therefore motivated to become chairman of Rover.
Saskia comes aboard at Rover at a turbulent time: there is a lot of talk about cutting back on public transport, while she advocates investments:
“There are six million people in the Netherlands, almost a third of the population, without a driving license. Public transport is even the only mode of transport for people with disabilities. With less public transport, they have less opportunity to participate in society. In the countryside, good public transport is even more important, in North-East Groningen you quickly have to cycle 20 kilometers and not everyone succeeds. ”
Since 2008, director Freek Bos has been Rover's representative at the discussion tables. The board serves as support for the bureau. Saskia Kluit wants to help the agency and the association to grow, while retaining the strength of the current organization. Rover can learn a lot from the experience that Saskia has gained at the Fietsersbond.
Photo: Rover - Saskia Kluit
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