Marti Valero Gispert,
Roely Rijpkema
There are different socio-technical systems in the mobility system of Texel. The ferry, cars and public transport will be explained in this paragraph. Some background information will be given to explain the socio-technical systems. There are a lot of different actors which has to work together to make the different socio-technical systems work. These actors are explained by their interests, problem and needs.
TESO (the ferry company) has commissioned a study in 2009 (DTV Consultants) for the development of the transport to Texel in the coming decades. Not all of these issues are equally important for Texel, but for the development of transport until 2040 it is worth to know that:
1. The tourism on Texel will increase further (growth of German tourists keeps on / Wadden Sea as World Heritage presumably attracts new tourists / Texel is by nature, tranquillity and space-image are less sensitive to competition / Dutch people continue coming, partly because vacations close to home are more popular again);
2. The increasing individualization and motorization makes the transport growing faster than the population growth;
3. Leisure time becomes more intensive, more individualistic and more commercial;
4. The Netherlands is aging, but the elderly of the future are more active, richer and more mobile. They have their own transport, are traveling more eager and want more luxury and comfort;
5. The indigenous population of the Netherlands, the traditional visitors of Texel, is not growing and that non-Western immigrants ignore Texel;
6. There will be an economic growth (higher Gross Domestic Product, higher income per capita);
7. The car remains the dominant mode of transport, but it will be more intelligent (more driving tasks are automated) and environmentally friendly (smaller, more economical, electric);
8. The threat of climate change will not manifest before 2040, on the condition that
CO2 reduction policy is successful.
The ferry
The ferry service between Den Helder and Texel is the most important connection to the island. Substantially all of the people and goods to and from the island are transport with the ferry. TESO maintains this and the service runs between 06:00 and 21:30. It appears that there is no need to change the accessibility of TESO. There is satisfaction about the current balance between the accessibility of Texel and rest. Texel needs to take into account an increase of 2.2 million vehicles and 4.5 million people in 2040 (Gemeente Texel, 2015). The ferry wants to provide reliable service.
The rental companies
Hereby we look at all possible rental vehicles on Texel. For the tourists, the rental vehicles has to be usable, they do not want to be distracted. Changes on the system are less annoying for them than for the habitants. Habitants also want to have a usable car, but they are used to a certain quality. Changes can lead to resistance when the quality becomes less. Reliability is important for rental companies.
The public transport
The public transport is changing at the moment. There is a new bus system on Texel, but there is still the possibility to go from Den Helder to Texel by bus. The bus is taking the ferry during the route. The busses are comfortable and accessible to people with disabilities. Reliability is important for the companies.
Local governmental bodies
Texel wants her guests to de-stress, even when it comes to paid parking. Some years ago is as a first step entered to the Texel Vignette. For only € 15 per year, the guest can park anywhere. One can also choose to pay an hourly rate using the parking meter. The hourly rate is € 2.50. Paid parking is applies for parts of Den Burg (environmental center), De Koog (environmental center) and Oudeschild (harbor). It is not clear to everyone what should and should not be paid. The aim is not to increase the parking fees for Texel Vignette and parking meter, so they want to keep it at a low price level.
The road network is well maintained and unsafe intersections are converted to roundabouts. The roads are designed according to the principle of Shared Space: safe for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. There will be suitable parking lots at the edges of the villages. Cars are at the edge of the villages referred to these car parks.
The municipality is responsible for the quality of the roads and the rules and regulations. They give the permits if necessary, they present the local community so the local opinion on the island is important for them.