The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) wants to keep the Netherlands accessible, safe and liveable. In 2022, IenW will invest €3,6 billion in maintenance, replacement and renovation of roads, waterways, rail, bridges and the main water system. In doing so, IenW is taking an important step in the enormous maintenance operation of the coming years. At the same time, extra attention is being paid to safety. The living environment and circular economy will also receive a boost. This allows the ministry, for example, to take a new step towards clean road traffic. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has listed the most important points, we summarize the points regarding mobility for you.

Accessible Netherlands

Regular maintenance of our roads, bridges and railways is very important so that (lorry) cars, ships and trains continue to drive. It is now even more important, because our infrastructure is used more intensively than was estimated when they were built 70 years ago and heavier traffic now drives over it. As a result, the Netherlands faces one of the largest infrastructural challenges in history. 

In the coming year, Rijkswaterstaat can invest € 2,1 billion in maintenance, replacement and renovation. Up to and including 2025, ProRail will invest €1,5 billion annually in management, maintenance and replacement of the track. In the future, however, the shortages will be significant. With the investments in 2022, the organizations can now at least take the next steps.

Since the Netherlands will be building another 2030 homes up to and including 900.000, extra connections and infrastructure are needed so that the new residents can continue to move around easily. For example, the second and third ten-minute train will run at the end of 2021 between Arnhem-Utrecht-Schiphol and between Schiphol-The Hague-Rotterdam. The outgoing cabinet wants to maintain and construct infrastructure as sustainably as possible, also with a view to the nitrogen problem. For example, we give entrepreneurs subsidies to buy construction machines without exhaust gases.

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Safe Netherlands

This year too, IenW will invest €50 million in improving road safety throughout the country. That is part of the €500 million package that will become available over the next ten years. Other governments can spend this money on the construction or adaptation of a safe infrastructure, for example for bicycles.

Liveable Netherlands

IenW is also taking new steps in making mobility cleaner. More people will be able to buy or lease an electric car with a subsidy in the coming years. New or second-hand. This arrangement has proved very popular in recent years. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment will earmark an extra €90 million for this over the next three years.

The climate package also focuses on the use of shore power. With shore power, moored ships can use the power supply from the quay. As a result, they do not have to use polluting fuel oil to generate electricity.

COVID-19

Due to the corona measures, the number of traffic jams and public transport users has decreased drastically. Now that society is 'opening' again step by step, I&W avoid and spread out the crowds in road and public transport traffic as much as possible. To this end, agreements are made with employers and educational institutions about how people can work from home for part of the week.

Although more and more travelers are starting to use public transport again, income is not yet at the old level before corona. In order to be able to continue to offer an adequate level of public transport facilities, an amount of € 31 million is estimated for the extension of the public transport availability fee up to and including 2022 August 140.

Also read: Cabinet wants to increase the addition of electric cars

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