Mobility

Dutch motorways faced record-breaking congestion on Wednesday, 13 May 2026. Total traffic jams exceeded 1,000 kilometres as people departed for the Ascension Day holiday. While accidents worsened the delays, traffic eased after the initial early evening rush.

The caravan is enjoying a significant resurgence in the Netherlands, with new sales figures from trade associations BOVAG and KCI showing an 18 per cent increase in registrations this spring. While caravan sales are currently declining across the rest of Europe in favour of motorhomes, the Dutch market is bucking the trend, driven largely by young families who see them as an ideal way to holiday with children. Industry experts note that since the pandemic, caravans have firmly returned to the radar of younger generations, resulting in over 2,100 new units being sold in just two months.

The IMO reports that around 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some vessels have been stuck for weeks, and an evacuation plan is being prepared once tensions ease.

Despite sharply rising fuel prices, Dutch motorists are driving more than before. New data shows weekly kilometres and driving days have increased, while many drivers now cross into Belgium or Germany to refuel at lower prices.

Train services between Utrecht and The Hague came to a halt on Monday morning after a signal failure near Moordrecht. ProRail expects the disruption to affect the morning rush hour while engineers investigate the cause. NS is running replacement buses on several routes to support travellers.

Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and hail to southern parts of the Netherlands on Saturday evening, leading to localised flooding and the suspension of a professional football match. Fire crews tackling a wildfire in the Budel and Weert area were forced to change tactics due to the sudden deluge. A weather warning remains in place for most of the country as the storms begin to ease.

New car registrations in the Netherlands fell by nearly 5 per cent in April, totalling 25,704 units, as geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty prompted the business sector to postpone purchases. This decline follows a volatile start to 2026, largely attributed to a surge in late-2025 sales where leasing companies rushed to beat less favourable tax rules for company cars.

The national recommended price for Euro95 has surpassed €2.60 per liter for the first time, as rising oil prices push fuel costs higher across the Netherlands. Diesel prices are also increasing after a brief decline earlier this month.