Car

Debating modernization is futile, éminence grise of Dutch journalism Henk Hofland wrote in 1981. “Modernization is there, suddenly like a bolt from the blue, someone is in favour and someone else against, but no one can do anything about it anymore.” The relation between preservation and modernization is a leitmotiv in a new collection of columns he wrote under the name S. Montag.

A telling example is the introduction of traffic lights in Amsterdam, an issue Hofland would like to study some day. Motorists fiercely opposed the plan: “The government was stripping the individual of his personal responsibility, man was reduced to a number, this was one more step towards the slippery slope leading to a society in which all would be degraded to trained monkeys.”

Over the past three years, the Noord Administration has spent over 100,000 euro on renting limousines from a taxi service. Het Parool asked other districts and found that Noord is unique in its expense policy. Elsewhere, aldermen travel by bicycle.

The Noord administration further spent 60,000 euro on catering, Het Parool reports on the basis of preliminary answers to questions asked by Leefbaar Noord. In Noord, catering and limousine expenses are not paid from the fixed allowance aldermen receive. In other districts, aldermen are supposed to pay taxis and lunches from their allowance.

[By Alex van Veen] – “This is a very dangerous crossing.” The man, smartly dressed and carrying a briefcase, made his comment to various bystanders behind the police tape. Earlier, an accident had taken place at the crossing of the Ceintuurbaan and the Tweede Sweelinckstraat. Two boys were seriously injured.

The incident took place on Tuesday 24 November at about 7 pm. The victims were speeding on a scooter not wearing a helmet and were hit by a turning car. As a result of the heavy impact, the boys were launched, hit a two-meter high safety mirror and landed against a dustbin. The trauma team arrived to provide medical assistance.

Amsterdam wants to promote electric cars in order to meet climate goals. However, cyclists are worried that their “traditional right-of-way over cars will be sideswiped by more cars and more parking ramps,” writes Evan Lehmann in a curious article in the New York Times.

The article quotes Marjolein de Lange of cyclists’ organisation Fietsersbond: “If you add more parking spaces, you get more cars. We think the cleanest means of transport is the bike. Definitely.”

[By Bouwe Olij] – There is a crisis going on, money has run out, we have to make cutbacks. That is what we get to hear day in day out. It is both true and untrue. There is no denying that the economy is in a bad shape. As for no money being left, that is a more nuanced matter. We do have to make cutbacks, but question is how much and on what. An important source of income for the municipality and the districts is revenue from parking fees. If we spend this money differently, cuts may not be as painful.