The majority of the seventeen interviewees either cycle or walk to work. Only one takes the train, while five drive (though some swap the car for a bike if the weather is nice). How do they feel about the new policy? A project group spent the past months developing a new transport and parking plan to reward sustainable behaviour and discourage less sustainable travel, like project leader Cyriel Heuts said in a recent Observant interview.
Only one interviewee is outright negative, calling the paid parking “a disgraceful proposal”, while three welcome the plan, mainly for environmental reasons – lower carbon emissions – and fairness: cyclists will now receive a mileage allowance, just like car and train commuters.
Most interviewees have mixed feelings. They applaud sustainability but note that “policy affects a whole group, yet each individual case is different.” Various interviewees argue that individual circumstances should be taken into account, since not everyone can realistically cycle to work. “If you have children and live outside Maastricht, you have no choice but to take the car. It’s practically impossible to take your children to school by bike before cycling to work yourself. And what if you’re less mobile due to illness or injury?” An interviewed receptionist points out that some employees work late shifts: “The first start at 7.30 am, the last leave after 10 pm.” She would have to cycle a considerable distance in the dark, to a village well outside Maastricht. “It’d be unsafe. It’s not an option.” She hopes the university will allow for exceptions. “In such cases, free parking would not be unreasonable.”
Sprints
Cycling to work also isn’t a realistic option for a PhD candidate who lives fifty kilometres away in Belgium. “I might consider it if I had an electric bike, but it’s a huge time investment. I wouldn’t know where to find the hours. And it’d take me 2.5 hours to get to work by public transport.”
UM will continue to fully reimburse travel expenses by public transport. The only train commuter Observant spoke to, a postdoctoral researcher from Arnhem, doesn’t mind the long journey. “I work on the train. I can’t work from my car.” Her commute takes over two hours, “including three sprints to change trains”, but expenses are covered and it’s an environmentally conscious choice.
Frustrated
Some staff have complained on the intranet that it’s ridiculous to have to pay to come to work. One interviewee disagrees: “I don’t see it that way. Plenty of companies charge for parking; I’m just glad it’s been free until now.” Without sharing exact numbers, project leader Cyriel Heuts previously stated, “We definitely won’t be charging commercial rates like Q-Park. You won’t suddenly find yourself paying €12.50 per day. No, absolutely not.” Parking rates will also be linked to commuting distance: the farther you live from the university, the lower your rate.
A PhD candidate understands this approach but at the same time believes that employers should ideally provide parking for employees who have to come into work. One of her colleagues, who walks to work, questions whether introducing parking fees will have the desired effect. “Negative discouragement will only make people feel frustrated.” Another interviewee points to MUMC+, where his wife used to work. “Employees there have been paying for parking for years. I think there’s no other way, considering limited parking spaces. You can’t just keep adding spaces. So I understand the decision.”
Finally, one interviewee rides his motorbike to work: “I can’t cycle anymore due to a knee injury.” He lives on the edge of Maastricht, seven kilometres from the School of Business and Economics where he works. “Nothing will change for me – I’ll just drive past the barrier.”
Wendy Degens, with contributions of Deborah Blekkenhorst, Peter Doorakkers, Cleo Freriks and Dennis Vaendel