Reduction in travel time in cars

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Description

Today an office worker spends a lot of time travelling in his car, especially due to huge traffic jams on highways. Most of the jams are caused by people moving between home and office and they prefer to use their own cars. People want a better quality of life and hence prefer to stay in the best affordable residential locations, which are generally away from the business centres. On an average, the Dutch people travel 3 times everyday, however, the distance traveled has increased from 28Km / day in 1985 to 35Km / day in 2007. From 2000 to 2008, time loss due to traffic jams on highways increased by 55% whereas traffic volume grew by 14%.

Enablers

  • Companies having small offices at many locations to reduce travelling distance and time
  • People taking jobs at companies in their localities
  • People moving closer to their offices
  • Increase in fuel prices
  • Development of better public transport system
  • Development of better and more highways

Inhibitors

  • Increase in number of people, jobs, vehicles, accidents
  • Higher income leading to people affording better residential housing
  • Change in laws, example, reduction in speed limits
  • Shift from public transport to car

Paradigms

Simply due to the fact that it is almost impossible to change the mindset of people and the number of people, jobs and vehicles will increase, the travel time in car should also increase. However, as the problem worsens, people will themselves change and shift to other modes of transport, change jobs, etc. to reduce their travel time, which is essentially a waste. If this happens, productivity of the economy should increase and the quality of life will become much better at the same level of expenditure.

Experts

Consultants, Statistics agencies, Transport Ministry

Timing

N.A.

Web Resources

http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/