Why the city of The Hague opted for MOOV City Access

7/7/2021


The center of The Hague is characterized by its narrow roads. As the government capital of the Netherlands, home to the embassy, consulates and the international criminal court, it is a challenge to keep the historic and tourist center accessible, liveable and safe. The implementation of Nedap's MOOV system in The Hague makes it possible to regulate vehicle access. This optimizes traffic flows in the city. The smart solution, which is applied to more than 70 vehicle entrances, ensures that only authorized vehicles can enter the controlled areas if they are authorized to do so. By regulating traffic flows, the streets and squares in the center of The Hague changed from vehicle-dominant areas to attractive and safe public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city of The Hague

With approximately 450,000 inhabitants, The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The city is known as the center for political and international law. While Amsterdam is the capital, The Hague is the seat of the government of the Dutch Kingdom and more than 100 embassies and consulates. Together with cities such as New York and Geneva, The Hague is an important city for the United Nations, with its International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

The historic city, located on the North Sea coast, is also an important tourist destination. During the summer months, many people visit the beaches near the city. The Hague also attracts many international organizations. It is home to the international headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell and many other large national and international companies.

The urban traffic challenge

Cities such as The Hague are confronted with the growing number of people and vehicles in the narrow infrastructure of the historic city center. Finding your way safely through city traffic is not easy for most people who live and work in the city, let alone for visitors and tourists. Pedestrians and the huge number of cyclists are confronted with the consequence every day. Vehicles pollute, occupy a lot of public space when parked, cause traffic jams and pose a potential safety risk. As government capital, The Hague is expected to increase security levels where necessary to enable demonstrations, manifestations and VIP visits.

Risk mitigation

Vehicles are still the most important means of transport in urban environments worldwide. In most cities, the vast majority of the transportation of people and goods is performed by cars, trucks, taxis, buses and other motorized vehicles. That is why it is imperative that cities like The Hague can facilitate these vehicles to do their job, while citizens and visitors must be able to fully enjoy the shopping streets, museums, beaches and other tourist attractions. Unfortunately, the trend towards the use of vehicles as weapons in an increasing number of terrorist incidents cannot be ignored. It is impossible to protect cities 100% against vehicular attacks, but authorities in The Hague have developed strategies to mitigate this threat.

Attractive public space

Cities can never become completely car-free. Limited access for vehicles is essential for several purposes. Think of public transport, residents, emergency and emergency services or logistics purposes. The Hague does not want to ban all vehicles from the city center, but only wants to reduce the number of parked vehicles on the street and through traffic. With the implementation of one system that controls all vehicle access to specific zones, The Hague ensures that only authorized vehicles can enter these zones if they have permission to do so. This changed the streets and squares from vehicle-dominant areas to attractive and safe public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.

Dynamic access control

In 2010, the city of The Hague decided to introduce a special access control system that regulates the entrances to the city center with innovative technology. Dynamic bollards effectively prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering. Automatic vehicle identification systems such as RFID and license plate registration systems ensure that residents, police cars, licensed taxis, government cars and emergency vehicles have easy access without compromising safety. Retail suppliers can be exempted and can be given access on specific days in specific time zones. This access control system is based on Nedap MOOV, a cloud platform, specifically developed for the management of vehicle access in urban environments. MOOV makes it possible to remotely monitor and manage video and intercom systems, vehicle identification solutions and traffic elements such as ground loops, traffic lights and dynamic vehicle barriers.

Haaglanden Safety Region

Nedap MOOV "112" supports the initiative of the Haaglanden Safety Region. This security region is responsible for disaster management in the Haaglanden region. Part of this initiative is that all emergency vehicles, police cars, ambulances and fire engines in this safety region are equipped with an RFID transponder. In the event of a critical situation, these emergency services can automatically pass all vehicle barriers quickly, safely and without delay.

Safe and attractive inner city

Like many European cities, the public road infrastructure in the center of The Hague was never designed for the enormous growth of people entering the city by car, public transport, bicycle and on foot. Every day, citizens and visitors share the city's public spaces, streets, squares and parks. The Hague is a perfect example in which the city council protects road users in the various challenges in urban traffic. The big advantage of Nedap MOOV is that people and vehicles keep moving, while the safety levels are optimized. Citizens are better protected without the city being forced to come to a complete standstill. More than 70 cities in the Netherlands are using Nedap's city access solution and can respond smartly to current and future challenges in the field of mobility, security and safety. This makes the city more attractive, accessible and minimizes dangerous situations.

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