Cyclists have priority over cars in Amsterdam

Those who go to school or work in Ljubljana, Slovenia have been warned for several months that the Ljubljana ring road is now full of cars. It’s not any better on the highways either.

However, people say they cannot travel via public transport because the trains are often delayed by an hour or more.

So what to do?

It might be worth looking at how traffic is regulated in other countries.

For example, the Netherlands, which is twice the size of Slovenia, has nine times as many people as Slovenia.

That many passengers commuting to school and work should cause a lot of traffic headaches.

But even a brief visit to the country shows that it is not so bad. Why not?

Although train tickets are not cheap, many people choose this mode of transport because trains run frequently and are usually punctual.

“Especially in cities, the crowding would be much greater if public transport was not organized as it is, and if not so many people cycled,” notes Petra Tomše, who recently moved to the Netherlands.

Also, no one expects cyclists to get off their bikes at the crossing and walk across the street.

Old and young people, families with children, athletes, and tourists – all choose to ride a bicycle in the Netherlands.

Everywhere in the Netherlands the rule is, “Cyclists first.” They have the right of way over cars and, it seems – even over pedestrians.

The Dutch are considered friendly, but they get outraged if you step in front of their bike.

Would you like this rule in your country?

Points to Consider

1. Are the bike lanes in your area well-maintained?
2. What else can we do to encourage people to drive cars less?
3. Which means of transport do you prefer to use?

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The original version of this article was published on 25^th September.