15:14 More traffic jams on the road, but not (only) busier than before corona

It has been two months since the recommendation to work from home was lifted. It kept him busy even more along the way. Does this also mean that everything is back to normal?

If you look at the congestion severity figures (the length of the congestion multiplied by its duration), earlier this year there were no more than 2021 people on the road. In February it appeared that the congestion was increasing. and this move was reinforced when the work-from-home recommendation was removed.

“April was much busier with four times more traffic jams than in the same period last year,” says Edwin Gerritsen of ANWB Traffic Information. Especially in South Holland and North Brabant, he sees the road as busy as before. In fact, Rotterdam has always been busier in recent months. For Gerritsen, the relative tranquility around Amsterdam is a striking fact.

In terms of congestion, the Netherlands is currently at the level of 2018, according to the ANWB traffic service. Compared to last year before the corona era, the road is still about 20% quieter.

This graph from the ANWB shows that the increase in traffic density has accelerated in the past month.

Roadside assistance does not have to travel more often

The ANWB notes that breakdowns and accidents remain the main cause of delays on the road. However, Roadside Assistance has recently stopped receiving reports of drivers stranded on the road, while people are able to drive to work again.

According to a spokesperson, the number of reports was back to the level before the corona crisis in September. Last summer was even the busiest time for roadside assistance in the past fifteen years. In June, roadside assistance had the highest number of breakdowns ever recorded.

Other types of repairs, because there are now more

Vishal Durgaram of the Vakgarage Foundation, a program in which more than 350 companies participate, says that the fact that more drivers are on the road again is not immediately reflected in the number of garage service appointments.

According to the head of the garage group, it is difficult to say whether there is a connection between working from home and maintenance. It is true that more and more people are driving miles and other types of repair and maintenance work are being carried out. According to Durgaram, cars are more likely to have wear problems.

“The picture that the workplaces see is broader than the corona. Due to the shortage of sawdust, new cars are difficult to deliver, which means that the existing car is driven longer. Longer trips mean more maintenance.”