This article proposes that on working days a 'Regional Traffic Authority' (RTA) should be enforced in the Randstad area. This should be applied both to all forms of public transport and to all private vehicles driven in this Dutch region. This means that for every journey a person makes, by car or by public transport, a previously bought ticket or pass would be required. Fixed car costs could be reduced in this way. Those in possession of a ticket or a pass would always be free to choose which form of transport they want. When individuals choose to use the car, they will have to pay all the variable car costs on top of their ticket costs. The law of supply and demand must be allowed to function in the best possible way. When fixing rates in the future, social and individual preferences should be taken into consideration. In all cases, those who travel by public transport instead of by car will pay less. Tariffs should be fixed in such a way that the RTA will require no state subsidy. Public transport companies will also be financially independent. The RTA will only accept services from transport companies with good price/quality offers.
Samenvatting