Transport minister Melanie Schultz has hiked up the maximum speed from 120kph to 130 kph on 60% of motorways. The measure will come into effect from September 2012. The Volkskrant gathered up some reactions.

Motoring organisation ANWB welcomes the move and conjures up an image of drivers zooming along with the wind in their hair: driving at 130 gives people ‘a sense of freedom’, it says, although ‘the differences in speed on a four lane motorway, especially between cars and lorries could be considerable.’ Hopefully this will not lead to dangerous situations, it adds piously.
Man not built for speed
VVN, the national organisation for road safety is not optimistic. ‘Man is not built for speed’, it says. The organisation’s own research points to a decrease in road safety should the measure become reality: the breaking distance and crash speed will increase and will result in more serious injuries. VNN thinks the new maximum speed will lead to more accidents and deaths on the roads.
The political parties are divided.
D66 wants a return to 120kph if it turns out the measure is detrimental to man and environment while the car loving liberals of the VVD think the new limit should be implemented on 75% of motorways.
Whirlpool
GroenLinks call the measure ‘blinkered’. ‘10 kilometres more means 10% more fuel’, not a good thing with oil becoming scarce, it says, and: ‘Generations to come won’t thank the minister for allowing us to drive around with a whirlpool in our tank’.
The PVV comments that ‘this is a happy day for motorists’. But not happy enough it seems because the party announces it will strive to have the measure implemented sooner and more comprehensively.
Gesture politics
The SP is not against in principle and sides with D66. So does the PvdA which does however think the measure is largely a matter of gesture politics. The main problem is the congestion around the big cities and far from gaining a few seconds the problem there is complete gridlock, the party says.
The Christian Democrats also think road safety should have priority over speed. ‘We want a minister for both transport and safety’, they said.