Well, how do they get around? And not just the seniors; what about the disabled? I mean, they do have to get around, so do they take public transit? Well, then, how do they get to the station? These are the questions that Amsterdamer and other Dutch politicians faced after they realized that public transit and bikes were way better than cars. They had to figure out something and get that something implemented fast.
The Solution
After many car companies heard about the politicians’ dilemma, several stepped up. Many just proposed more road infrastructure, but the government decided it did not want to return to that. However, one newer car company stepped up. They proposed a micro-car—no, not a golf cart—a car that just happens to be very small (at least to us Americans). They then designed a car called the Canta. A Canta could be designed to have a ramp for wheelchairs or just a regular seat. Now, since these cars are for disabled people, it is legal to ride them in the bike lanes and to park them on the sidewalk as long as they are in designated parking spots (don’t worry, their sidewalks are absolutely huge). They didn’t take up too much space and were either electric or low-emission. Everyone LOVED them. The bikers were happy because now there were fewer SUVs, and the Cantas were about the size of a bike; the elderly were delighted because they could get around and did not have to feel like they were under the bikes (yes, people feel like this in the Netherlands); and the environmentalists were happy because the cars did not hurt the environment much. But one faction wanted in. The wealthy.
The Consequence
You see, the wealthy were very mad because they had the same level of taxation as everyone else. Namely the car tax (Americans would be appalled). When the Canta came out, the government decided not to put car taxes on it because some people required it. Therefore, the wealthy created a special micro-car of their own. They said to the government that if the Cantas don’t get taxes, then THEIR “Cantas” shouldn’t get taxes. The government put taxes on them anyway. However, they put a car tax rate on the rich people’s micro-cars, which was way lower than the one for the other cars. This was because the car was way smaller and more efficient than the other cars. So, the wealthy kind of won. The CEOs of many companies bought many of these micro-cars and gave them out to their salespeople (why?…). Because of the two new micro-cars on the market, SUV and truck usage decreased significantly.
Some Afterthoughts
- If you’re wondering, shops deliver their goods via vans, micro-vans, and cargo bikes.
- Some people reading this will know of a town just outside of Atlanta, GA, called Peachtree City. Its situation with cars is similar to Amsterdam’s, except they have golf carts instead of micro-cars. It’s pretty crazy. Watch Tom Scott’s video about it below.
