Our letter to Annick De Ridder, the new Flemish minister for mobility
Dear Minister for Mobility and Public Works
Dear Ms De Ridder
The oath has been taken, the agreement is in place. The hand can be put to the plough. Although there was a passage in the coalition agreement about 'the search for social support' that persuaded us to write you this letter.
A word about that oft-sought support
We want to tell you that support for bold, forward-looking choices does exist. How do we know this? Thanks to an extensive survey that a representative sample of 2,000 Flemish people used to give us an insight into their opinions and attitudes towards sustainable mobility in May 2024. And this not only shows that support for sustainable mobility choices is much greater than you might suspect, but that the same Fleming also knows very well where the priorities lie. And that is not more electric cars, to be clear. It is with accessible public transport and good cycling infrastructure, to name but a few. So it is a good thing you are doing away with this completely inefficient premium for e-cars.
The survey clearly maps public opinion on sustainable mobility in Flanders for the first time. We hereby invite you to delve deeper in the coming weeks. To counter your doubts, to answer questions, but above all to give your policy extra oxygen in the coming years. So feel free to take those bold decisions needed to go for a warm and prosperous Flanders. Otherwise you risk ending up with a hot Flanders, literally and figuratively. Because it will take a lot to achieve those ambitious climate goals. So don't use words like 'affordable', 'socially just' and 'supportive' as a fallacy to become a government of business as usual.
Sustainable mobility is much more than ...
Quite honestly? We expected more from the chapter on Sustainable Mobility. After all, it is about much more than some fiddling on the margins with charging station squares or environmentally friendly fuels. Sustainable mobility also means working towards a strong region that offers everyone the opportunities to get where they need to go. With a socially just mobility that has an eye for vulnerable groups and eliminates blind spots in the mobility system. Which opts for a sustainable modal shift, supported by high-performance public transport and high-quality infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. Opting for a warm Flanders also means that you really mean it with Vision Zero. 0 traffic deaths or serious injuries in our traffic, you can think of worse plumes to put on your hat.
We are very happy that you choose the child standard as your starting point. We adults and mobility professionals really need to look at things from a child perspective much more often. It is a widely accepted fact: a mobility system that works for an 8-year-old has benefits for everyone, young and old. A no-brainer really.
But then again, we read in several places about better traffic flow. We are not of ill will, so we assume that you then emphasise the flow of autonomously mobile children and not children in the back seat of a car, driven by parents who, because of the chaos at the school gate, are too scared to let their child walk or cycle to school. By the way, our survey shows that a large majority of Flemings are in favour of more and better cycle paths.
We read with interest that you see public transport "as an important lever in the fight against transport poverty". We have long fought with Mobiel 21 to get this issue on the political agendas. We have succeeded, and now it is up to you to make policies that really get rid of transport poverty. With your "substantial investments" you should certainly succeed in eliminating blind spots in supply. But transport poverty has many faces. We know this from research but also from years of experience with De Fietsschool. Every year the waiting lists get longer of adults who want to learn to ride a bike. Fortunately, there are already dozens of Cycling Schools in Flanders. A Cycle School is a real quick win to solve transport poverty in a sustainable way. We are already aiming for 100 Cycle Schools throughout Flanders by 2028. If you also see a substantial investment opportunity in this, you know where to find us.
If we have to choose between 'The government should make sure people get to their destinations as quickly as possible'
OR
'The government should ensure that everyone gets to their destination'
then we would convincingly choose the latter.
An ambitious modal shift
Finally, a third principle: "a strong link between space and mobility policies through an ambitious modal shift". To have a modal split of 50/50 cars/sustainable transport by 2030 requires more than major infrastructure projects. For that, you also need a mental shift among Fleming. The continued investments in cycling infrastructure, a Bicycle Master Plan, a recognition framework for shared mobility, a pedestrian vademecum and the substantial investments in public transport are all levers to give people not only enthusiasm but also confidence that they can get to a lot of places without their own car. With the right support, help or care when and where needed. We therefore grant your policy team the necessary space to dare, to resolutely opt for a sustainable mobility system. That your and-and story is the right choice for that, we will leave for now. If the proportions of the mix are the right ones - you know, the STOP principle - then your plan has every chance of succeeding.
Related insights
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What makes research by Mobiel 21 so unique?
Mobiel 21 conducts mobility research that translates social signals and policy questions into concrete action points. Cycling behaviour, mobility poverty or support for local mobility measures? Together with citizens, policymakers, companies and all kinds of other organisations, we arrive at new insights. In an accessible and people-oriented way. Discover how we work.
Fighting transport poverty
Everyone has the right to move freely and participate in society. We support people facing transport disadvantages by identifying vulnerable groups, and seek to integrate equity into sustainable mobility.