The number of hours the Dutch spent in traffic jams rose 11% last year to 44 million, according to the latest mobility monitor, compiled by the transport ministry.

At the same time, the number of short journeys made by bike fell four billion km to 14 billion km.
But road safety seems to be improving, the monitor shows. Last year 811 people were killed in traffic accidents, compared with 1,083 in 2001. Cyclists accounted for 25% of those killed on the roads last year.