Dutch 30 km/h zones add more than five minutes to some bus trips

Passenger organization Rover says the 30 km/h speed limits in Dutch urban areas are slowing bus services and putting pressure on public transport operations, AD reports. Because buses are also required to comply with the 30 km/h limit in many built-up areas, travel times on some routes have increased. The group cites the Amstelveen-to-Leidseplein route, where it says trips now take more than five minutes longer than before the lower speed limit was introduced.

Rover argues that even relatively small delays can have broader effects. Longer travel times mean each bus completes fewer trips per hour, which in turn requires more vehicles and drivers to maintain the same service frequency. The organization says those additional resources are often not available.

As a result, Rover says some operators have responded by shortening bus routes or reducing service frequency in order to keep schedules workable.

It also notes that buses must strictly observe the new speed limits, while private cars in some areas can still travel faster where road conditions allow, reducing the relative speed advantage of public transport.

Additionally, data cited by the Institute for Scientific Research on Traffic Safety (SWOV) shows that more than 95 percent of pedestrians survive a collision with a passenger car at 30 km/h, while survival rates are roughly 10 percentage points lower at 50 km/h. SWOV also reports that well-designed 30 km/h zones with physical traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps and road narrowings can reduce serious traffic accidents by nearly one-third.