Fewer foreign lorries on Dutch roads

In 2008, foreign lorries and articulated vehicles travelled 800 million kilometres on Dutch roads, a 2 percent decrease relative to 2007. If all types of vehicles are taken into account, the total distance grew by 2 percent to 127 billion kilometres in 2008.

Marginal increase road haulage

Last year, the rapid increase in road traffic, in particular foreign lorries and articulated vehicles on Dutch roads leveled off. Between 2004, the year of EU enlargement, and 2007 the overall distance travelled by foreign road haulage vehicles in the Netherlands increased by 31 percent.

Foreign vehicles accounted for 11 percent of total road transport in the Netherlands. Although foreign transport vehicles covered a shorter distance, total road transport grew by 1 percent in 2008. Only in the fourth quarter, the amount of road transport vehicles declined relative to the last quarter of 2007.

Total distance covered by lorries on Dutch roads relative to one year previously

Most rapid growth for vans

The total distance covered on Dutch roads grew by 2 percent in 2008. Last year, vans travelled a total distance of 18 billion kilometres on Dutch roads, an increase by 3 percent relative to 2007.

The proportion of foreign vehicles in total Dutch road traffic has been fairly stable over the years since 1990 and was nearly 3 percent in 2008.

Distances covered on Dutch roads by type of vehicle, 2008

Sustained growth passenger car traffic

The total distance covered by passenger cars increased by 2 percent last year. Since 2003, the annual distance travelled by passenger cars has grown by 8 percent. The number of passenger cars also grew by 8 percent over the same period. The average annual distance per vehicle has hardly changed since 2003.

Number of passenger cars and distance covered

Ger Moritz