Stricter requirements for international travel by Amsterdam civil servants

Amsterdam city officials are not allowed to take a plane for destinations within ten hours of travel time. The city has re-evaluated the ‘travel guidelines for international travel’. Previously, a limit of six hours of travel was imposed.

Last July it was announced that Amsterdam city officials have flown several times in recent years to destinations that can be reached within six hours by train. This was evident from a letter sent by councilor Hester van Buren to the city council send.

Air travel

For example, municipal officials from the city made a total of 192 air trips in 2022. A year later there were more: 270. The trips also went to cities that can all be reached within six hours on a train There were also flights between Brussels (1), London (4) and Berlin (8). 50 flights went to and from Barcelona in two years.

The trade magazine Domestic Management sent Woo a request to the ten largest municipalities in the Netherlands to find out how often civil servants take a plane to work. Out of it it then turned out that Amsterdam civil servants do much more air travel than their colleagues in other cities. Three municipalities – Rotterdam, Utrecht and Tilburg – were not included in the study and did not provide any data.

Instructions

The city already announced in 2022 that new guidelines would be designed to make the travel behavior of civil servants greener. After questions from party leader Kevin Kreuger (JA21), the city is now coming up with a strict policy regarding these travel guidelines.

“The number of hours/kilometers from Amsterdam where it is necessary to travel by train will be increased to ten hours from Amsterdam,” said the city. This can be set aside for a legitimate reason, such as medical. According to the old instructions, journeys shorter than six hours or 600 kilometers from the city must be made by train.

The council emphasizes that it ‘stresses both stability and international cooperation’. “The added value of international cooperation will be measured more closely against the impact of sustainability. The city’s strict sustainability policy is a reason to update the current travel guide.”

In addition, the council believes that Amsterdam has a positive role as a group and is therefore committed to reducing the amount of air travel. Due to the importance of international cooperation, visits will continue to take place. But the city emphasizes: “Where possible, by train rather than by plane.”