Ministry of Infrastructure study: no differences between rural and Randstad accessibility

April 3, 2023

Countryside

According to the study, the number of people in the city is growing and more jobs and amenities are coming. On the other hand, in many parts of rural areas, the population and employment are shrinking and, on the contrary, there are fewer and fewer facilities. In rural areas, therefore, you have to travel farther and farther for work, education, healthcare or shopping. Little news so far, you might say.

Satisfied

But as it turns out, rural residents have no problem with this. According to the knowledge institute’s research, they are no less satisfied with the accessibility of facilities in their region than residents of the Randstad. On a scale of 1 to 7, rural residents give accessibility in their region a 6. According to the study, high car ownership in rural areas is one reason for the high score.

Go cycling

According to the knowledge institute, in rural areas, the car will remain the most widely used mode of transportation in the future. Public transportation is used relatively infrequently in these areas in part because of this and is expected to remain so. Therefore, public transportation is becoming more expensive and less available in rural areas. Small-scale public transportation, such as customized transportation, can help those who really need public transportation. It is also a good idea, according to KiM, to encourage the use of electric bicycles and build bicycle routes for distances up to 20 km in rural areas.