Car ownership and mobility
“The gap in car dependency between urban and rural areas is widening.” This is the conclusion reached by the Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Analysis (KiM) following extensive research, published in a brochure and two detailed background reports; see the link at the end of this article.
Car use is declining in major cities, while people outside these cities are becoming increasingly dependent on their cars. This dependency is so substantial that 1 in 3 respondents says owning a car is not a free choice but a necessity. Some households can barely afford to own a car, yet do so because they depend on it. They cut other household spending to cover the cost of the vehicle.
There are currently roughly as many cars as households. However, not every household has a car. Most households without a car can be described as car-free. Trends and forecasts suggest that the total fleet will grow and the number of cars per resident will continue to increase, though more slowly than in recent decades.
The study also examines the societal effects of widespread car ownership. Its main findings include the fact that greater car ownership leads to greater car use. Increasing car use encourages the expansion of the car-based transport system and also contributes to more dispersed development.
In major cities, cars are becoming less attractive thanks to the many alternatives to private car ownership, parking regulation and diminishing journey-time savings.
In terms of urban space, most Dutch residents can park within 10 metres of their home. Yet all these parked cars have a downside: because parked vehicles obstruct visibility, streets with parallel parking spaces see 2 times as many cycling accidents as streets without them. 1 in 5 accidents involving cyclists or pedestrians is associated with parked vehicles.
The sector faces many challenges in mobility and sustainability. Research and findings such as those produced by KiM make an important contribution to addressing them.
Source: K.i.M
