This recommendation was issued by the Dutch Advisory Council for Transport, Public Works and Watermanagement ('Raad voor Verkeer en Waterstaat') to the Dutch Minister of Transport, Public Works and Watermanagement. The recommendation deals with the question of how a harmonious co-operation between government and market parties may bring regional traffic and transport in the Netherlands to a higher level. Rather than maintaining the current situation of mostly separated and mutually competing transport systems ('modal split'), preference should be given to realising a combined, transparent whole of transport services with excellent transfer facilities between all kinds of modalities including cars ('modal merge'). It is important to better integrate regional transport systems into each other, and to introduce new intermediate forms of individual or collective transport. The aim is to reach a better balance between individual preferences of travellers and public interests such as livability and accessibility. When it comes to managing regional traffic and transport, the Council makes a distinction between the strategic, tactical, and operational level. Especially the tactical level deserves currently extra attention. If the fragmentation of regional traffic and transport is to come to an end, a lot will have to change on this level. An independent mobility agency should be operating on the tactical level, preferably as a project or process management agency. Its prominent task would be the direction of the co-operation and mutual adjustments in regional traffic and transport.
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