Transport is important for getting to work, education, friends or family. Even if we work from home more often, the Netherlands will get stuck if we do nothing now. We need to look differently and smarter at all modes of transport (car, bicycle, public transport), so that we can reach our destinations in a sustainable and responsible manner, even in the new reality. Mobility will be central to us in the coming weeks in the run-up to the elections. The candidates, the ideas they stand for and their party program. In the first publication of a series of political ambitions with regard to mobility, we examine the ideals of D66.

The candidates on the D66 list come from all four corners of the world, and even the overseas parts of our kingdom. There is a spread in age, the youngest candidate is 19 and the oldest 64. In 2017, party leader Sigrid Kaag returned to the Netherlands. D66 wants to tackle the climate crisis so firmly that the Netherlands will earn money from it. Only with a new economy can we flourish in a time of technological and industrial revolution, according to the party. From flying to trains. That is one of the ideals from the D66 party program. 

 

Fokker's aircraft dominated the airspace with a lot of noise and emissions. Well, then the Flying-V's from Delft can take over quieter and cleaner. DAF and Spyker were able to conquer the Netherlands. Well, the clean cars from Lightyear and Luca from Brabant can do that too.

Accessibility and sustainability are our top priorities when investing in mobility. D66 wants public transport in the urban environment to be more attractive than the car. The party wants to invest in a faster public transport connection to the north and south of the Netherlands and our eastern neighbors. The party also stimulates the major innovations that are expected with cleaner, self-driving transport. They offer travelers more transport and transfer options, for example by bicycle, electric scooters or (shared) cars. This requires major investments, but these are necessary, also for cleaner air.

Parliamentary elections
Parliamentary elections

Some program points of D66 are - investing in clean energy - higher climate targets - flying to trains - faster and cleaner from A to B - much more public transport and remarkably free childcare. We built the Delta works, so we can also become the hydrogen factory of Europe? D66 wants to invest in public work, the work that makes living together possible. Because no one can live on appreciation alone. We know that. But we can't just solve the problems with a salary increase. For D66, strict regulations from the towers of The Hague must come to an end, which means that almost more time is spent on detailed accountability than what really matters. 

It is up to politics to give people perspective again. That starts as early as possible. By free childcare. By investing heavily in good education.

D66 believes that the chances of hydrogen as an energy carrier must be developed further and more concretely. The party had previously sent a clear signal in the provinces of Overijssel and Flevoland. D66 wants a hydrogen filling station within a radius of every 100 km for various forms of mobility. In order to make hydrogen widely available, D66 is open to hydrogen storage and, under certain conditions, possibly in the (deep) underground. At the same time, we exclude storage for waste and CO2 deep underground. The D66 Deventer faction will ask the Board written questions about the opportunities and possibilities of making better use of hydrogen for the energy transition. D66 points to the many current developments regarding the use of hydrogen in traffic, public transport and heating homes.

from Beirut to Binnenhof

Over the past five years, director Shuchen Tan has followed Sigrid Kaag's transformation from diplomat to minister and eventually D66 party leader. It is part of democracy that the media show how politics works. In addition, these are kind documentaries important, they provide more insight than a tweet or a quick quote. Central topic the film therefore became how Kaag experiences this great transition from the Middle East to The Hague politics.  

Sigrid Kaag
Sigrid Kaag

I still recognized a lot. Mostly happy people in a free and safe country - and believe me, I've seen different in this world.

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