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There are more bicycles than residents in The Netherlands and in cities like
Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike. The BBC's
Hague correspondent, Anna Holligan, who rides an omafiets - or "granny style" -
bike complete with wicker basket and pedal-back brakes, examines what made
everyone get back in the saddle.
The 70s velo-rution
Before World War II, journeys in the Netherlands were predominantly made by
bike, but in the 1950s and 1960s, as car ownership rocketed, this changed. As
in many countries in Europe, roads became increasingly congested and cyclists
were squeezed to the kerb.
The jump in car numbers caused a huge rise in the number of deaths on the
roads. In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of
them children.
In response a social movement demanding safer cycling conditions for children
was formed. Called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder), it took its
name from the headline of an article written by journalist Vic Langenhoff whose
own child had been killed in a road accident.
A Stop de Kindermoord march
The Dutch faith in the reliability and sustainability of the motor vehicle was
also shaken by the Middle East oil crisis of 1973, when oil-producing countries
stopped exports to the US and Western Europe.
These twin pressures helped to persuade the Dutch government to invest in
improved cycling infrastructure and Dutch urban planners started to diverge
from the car-centric road-building policies being pursued throughout the
urbanising West.
Path to glory
To make cycling safer and more inviting the Dutch have built a vast network of
cycle paths.
These are clearly marked, have smooth surfaces, separate signs and lights for
those on two wheels, and wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and
overtaking.
People cycling along a fiedsstraat a bike street The sign reads 'Bike street:
Cars are guests'
In many cities the paths are completely segregated from motorised traffic.
Sometimes, where space is scant and both must share, you can see signs showing
an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words 'Bike Street:
Cars are guests'.
At roundabouts, too, it is those using pedal power who have priority.
You can cycle around a roundabout while cars (almost always) wait patiently for
you to pass. The idea that "the bike is right" is such an alien concept for
tourists on bikes that many often find it difficult to navigate roads and
junctions at first.
A 'Dutch-style' roundabout A roundabout where cyclists get their own lane and
have priority over motorists is being trialled in Berkshire for Transport for
London
Early adopters
Even before they can walk, Dutch children are immersed in a world of cycling.
As babies and toddlers they travel in special seats on "bakfiets", or cargo
bikes. These seats are often equipped with canopies to protect the children
from the elements, and some parents have been known to spend a small fortune
doing up their machines.
Woman with children in cargo bike
As the children grow up they take to their own bikes, something made easier and
safer by the discrete cycle lanes being wide enough for children to ride
alongside an accompanying adult. And, as the Dutch are not allowed to drive
until 18, cycling offers teenagers an alternative form of freedom.
Most bike-friendly countries in Europe
1=. Denmark
1=. Netherlands
3. Sweden
4. Finland
5. Germany
6. Belgium
7. Austria
8. Hungary
9. Slovakia
10. UK
Source: European Cyclists' Federation Cycling Barometer. Based on daily cycling
levels, bike sales, safety, cycle tourism and advocacy activity
The state also plays a part in teaching too, with cycling proficiency lessons a
compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum. All schools have places to park
bikes and at some schools 90% of pupils cycle to class.
Behind the bike sheds
In the university city of Groningen, a cyclists' dream even by Dutch standards,
the central train station has underground parking for 10,000 bikes. Cyclists
are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere, with electronic counters
at the entrance registering how many spaces are available.
Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in The Netherlands - outside schools,
office buildings and shops. In return you are expected to only lock up your
bike in designated spots - if you chain your bike in the wrong place you could
find that it is removed and impounded, and that you will have to hand over 25
euros to get it back.
Bike park at Amsterdam central station Bike parking, Amsterdam style
At home, even people who live in flats without special bike storage facilities
can expect to be allowed to leave their bikes in a communal hallway.
In the 16th Century, houses in Amsterdam were taxed according to their width, a
measure residents countered by building tall, narrow houses. So hallways get
filled with bikes - but so many people cycle, no-one really minds, and just
clambers past.
What is your main mode of transport?
Country Bike (%) Car (%) Public transport (%)
Source: European Commission Future of Transport report 2011. 1,000 people in
each country were asked; what is your main mode of transport for daily
activities?
Netherlands
31.2
48.5
11
Hungary
19.1
28.2
35.3
Denmark
19
63.4
11.8
Germany
13.1
60.9
14.8
Slovakia
9.5
32.3
30.9
Italy
4.7
54.4
18.2
Ireland
3.2
67.7
14.2
France
2.6
63.7
20.1
UK
2.2
57.6
22.1
Spain
1.6
47.4
30.2
EU27 average
7.4
52.9
21.8
It's not about your ride
How much cities invest in cycling transport, per person per year
Groningen: 26 euros
Amsterdam: 25 euros
Copenhagen: 23 euros
London: 11.5 euros
Munich: 3.8 euros
Berlin: 2.4 euros
Source: Figures collated by GIZ, a German consultancy specialising in economic
development
Cycling is so common that I have been rebuked for asking people whether they
are cyclists or not. "We aren't cyclists, we're just Dutch," comes the
response.
The bike is an integral part of everyday life rather than a specialist's
accessory or a symbol of a minority lifestyle, so Dutch people don't concern
themselves with having the very latest model of bike or hi-tech gadgets.
They regard their bikes as trusty companions in life's adventures. In that kind
of relationship it is longevity that counts - so the older, the better. It's
not uncommon to hear a bike coming up behind you with the mudguard rattling
against the wheel. If anything, having a tatty, battered old bike affords more
status as it attests to a long and lasting love.
Man uses bike for removals
No lycra, no sweat
The famously flat Dutch terrain, combined with densely-populated areas, mean
that most journeys are of short duration and not too difficult to complete.
Anna Holligan en route to London
Anna Holligan cycled 200 miles from The Hague to Westminster for BBC Newsnight
to find out whether the UK could and should learn from the Netherlands' cycling
culture.
NL Cycling on Dutch-style roundabouts
Bike Portland on Dutch road design
Few Dutch people don lycra to get out on their bike, preferring to ride to
work, the shops or the pub in whatever clothes they think appropriate for their
final destination.
Of course, the cycle paths lend themselves to sauntering along in summer
dresses in a way a death-defying, white-knuckle ride in rush-hour traffic does
not. It is also partly because of this that people don't need showers at work
to be able to commute by bike - it's a no-sweat experience.
Dutch people also tend to go helmet-free because they are protected by the
cycle-centric rules of the roads and the way infrastructure is designed. If you
see someone wearing a cycling helmet in The Netherlands, the chances are
they're a tourist or a professional.
I had to buy a helmet for my ride to the UK reporting for BBC Newsnight on the
differences between cycling in The Netherlands and the UK. My local bike shop
had just one on display, which the shop assistant said had been there "a few
months or maybe a year".
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WATCH: Anna Holligan (left) en route from The Hague to London
Right not might
The fact that everyone cycles, or knows someone who does, means that drivers
are more sympathetic to cyclists when they have to share space on the roads.
In turn, the cyclists are expected to respect and obey the rules of the road.
You may be fined for riding recklessly, in the wrong place or jumping red
lights. Police (often on bikes) will issue a 60-euro ticket if you are caught
without lights at night, and you will have to shell out even more if any of the
mandatory bike reflectors - of which there are many under Dutch law - are
missing.
Accidents do still happen of course, but in the event of a collision involving
a cyclist, insurers refer to Article 185 of the Dutch Road Safety Code which
deals with something called "strict liability". It is often mistakenly
interpreted as a law that establishes guilt. What it essentially means is the
driver will usually be expected to cover at least 50% of the financial costs to
the cyclist and their bike.
When out on the road, Dutch cyclists feel powerful and protected, making the
whole experience much more enjoyable. There are dangers on the roads, but very
rarely do they involve heavy goods vehicles, poorly designed junctions or
dangerous drivers.