According to the researchers employers do not often use commuting schemes explicitly to influence travel behaviour and contribute to sustainability goals. In practice, however, these schemes can have that effect.
‘Commuting subsidies are far from neutral,’ says Zorlu, a social geographer and econometrician at the University of Amsterdam. ‘They reinforce existing travel patterns and can undermine sustainable mobility policy, especially when they are linked to car use.’
Zorlu and Schindler argue that Commuting subsidies should be seen much more as part of sustainability policy.
What was studied?
The researchers analysed 217,694 unique trips from the national mobility survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands (for 2022 and 2023).
For each trip, they looked at the mode used (car, public transport, cycling/walking), the purpose (work, education, leisure) and the duration. They then estimated how strongly the choice for car, public transport or cycling/walking was associated with a commuting subsidy (which the mobility survey also records).
They grouped various commuting subsidies into two types:
Car-use-contingent subsidies: a lease or company car, mileage allowance, and fuel and parking allowances.
Non-usage-contingent subsidies: Includes fixed periodic allowances, public transport subscription, and other flat compensations. These are not sensitive to actual travel distance or usage intensity.
Car‑oriented schemes set the tone – beyond work
The researchers point to clear ‘spill‑over’ effects: a lease car or a generous mileage allowance influences the overall mobility pattern, not just commuting trips. ‘Subsidies that are directly linked to car use systematically increase the likelihood that people will take the car and reduce the likelihood of using public transport or cycling/walking. This applies in leisure time as well, and especially to education‑related trips – for example, taking children to school or, as an employee, travelling to a course,’ says Zorlu.