While COVID-19 further suppressed the usage of rail, bus, and tram in the Dutch transport system, public transportation already played a more marginal role in the Netherlands than in other EU countries prior to the pandemic. Only Slovenia, Portugal, and Lithuania recorded a lower public transportation modal share than the Netherlands in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected public transportation ridership in the Netherlands. Before the pandemic, an average of over 100 check-ins per minute with the national travel card OV-chipkaart were registered on public transportation across the country. In March 2020, the number of check-ins dropped drastically and has remained lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Building a zero-emission bus network
Only the larger Dutch cities, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, as well as connected smaller towns, have urban light rail or metro networks, which already run on electricity. In other parts of the country, local and regional public transportation is provided by buses, many of which still run on diesel. However, electric buses are making up an increasing share of the Dutch bus fleet, and the Netherlands is outpacing its European neighbors in transitioning to zero-emission buses (ZEB). Since 2016, the number of ZEBs in circulation has increased considerably, surpassing 1,400 units in 2022. It is expected that almost 2,400 units will be traveling across Dutch cities by 2026. By 2030, the Netherlands is aiming to run exclusively zero-emission buses.As of 2022, the public transportation operator with the largest ZEB fleet in the Netherlands was Connexxion, a company owned by Transdev and operating public transit in Amstelland, Amsterdam-Zuidoost, North Holland, and Zeeland, among other regions.
Urban public transportation in Amsterdam
Being the largest city in the Netherlands, Amsterdam also has the busiest public transportation network in the country. Before the pandemic, the transit operator GVB reported almost 300 million passengers annually. In 2021, the GVB transported 155 million passengers, generating 478.4 million euros in revenue. Next to buses, trams, and a metro network, public transportation in Amsterdam also includes several ferries, which carry foot passengers, bicycles, and mopeds across the IJ River.To meet the city’s ambitious target of zero-emission transport within the city center, the transit operator GVB is not only phasing out combustion engine buses but is also transitioning to more sustainable ferries. The more recently acquired ferries are already hybrid-electric powered, and all GVB ferries in the city are to be fully electric by 2025.
