aCTiviTieS - Jaarverslag RDW

Transcription

rdw ANNUAL REPORT 2008
rdw
VOLUME 12 numBer 1 2009
ANNUAL REPORT
2008
A year
with two faces
Column Ton Roks (p. 22) / MUSIC FOR DRIVING (p. 30) / DIGITAL SERVICES
PERSONALISED (p.32) / HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN? (p.50) / INTERVIEWS WITH Guus
WESSELINK FROM AVC, MISDAAD ANONIEM (CRIMES ANONYMOUS) (P. 37) AND
JAN MENGELERS FROM TNO (P. 63)
56968_RDW_Cover_eng.indd 1
04-06-2009 14:09:58
Contents
04
06
08
12
16
18
22
30
32
RDW PROFILE
INTERVIEW: SUPERVISORY BOARD
ANNUAL REVIEW
INTERVIEW: MANAGEMENT BOARD
MY FIRST CAR (I)
STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES
COLUMN BY TON ROKS
MUSIC & CARS
RDW ONLINE
08
2 | RDW ANNUAL REPORT 2008
32
37
38
40
47
49
50
54
56
58
INTERVIEW: GUUS WESSELINK
MY FIRST CAR (II)
CORE ACTIVITIES
COLUMN BY MEIKE HUBER
HUMAN RESOURCES
GREEN driving
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
SEGWAY NUMBER PLATE
MY FIRST CAR (III)
56
60
63
64
67
72
76
78
79
80
PASSED
INTERVIEW: JAN MENGELERS
GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
officials
SIGNS AND GESTURES
COLOPHON
IN THE BACK SEAT WITH WIM KUIJKEN
60
80
RDW ANNUAL REPORT 2008 | 3
RDW Profile
Who are we?
RDW is the national vehicle authority responsible for
monitoring the safety and environmental aspects of the
vehicle fleet in the Netherlands. In addition, RDW also
registers data pertaining to vehicles, their owners and
the corresponding documents issued, such as vehicle
registration certificates and driving licences. RDW also
provides the relevant information to both domestic and
Mission
foreign authorities. With our specialised knowledge, we
advise interested parties, meet at EU and ECE level, play a
central role in international data exchange and cooperate
in tackling fraud, crime and terrorism. All our work is
conducted in the interest of the Netherlands in general and
vehicle owners in particular.
RDW is the professional and reliable partner
for all parties in the vehicle chain.
RDW tasks
Licensing
Registration and information provision
Admitting vehicles and vehicle components to
the Dutch and European market on the basis of
technical regulations.
Gathering, storing, updating and managing
data about vehicles, their owners and vehicle
documentation and providing information
about this data.
Supervision and control
Supervising companies accredited by RDW
and monitoring the technical state of vehicles
in connection with safety and environmental
requirements.
Issuing documents
Issuing documents related to vehicles and their
owners or keepers.
10.6
FACTS & FIGURES
Almost 10.6 million people in the Netherlands have
a driving licence for a car or motorbike. Over 1.4
million driving licence holders are permitted to drive
a motorcycle. 888,000 people are authorised to drive
a truck or bus. The biggest group of licence holders
are people aged between 40 and 54.
Where do we operate?
As the Dutch vehicle licensing authority,
RDW inspects new vehicles and vehicle parts.
Our clients include car manufacturers and importers from all over the world. RDW also shares
its knowledge in advisory and joint venture pro-
jects related to road safety abroad. In addition,
RDW works with sister organisations in the field
of European regulations.
Business relations
RDW deals with numerous external parties,
from police trying to track down a car, to
manufacturers developing a new model and
vehicle owners wanting to drive these new
models. They also deal with entrepreneurs who
require special exemption for abnormal loads,
insurance companies providing statutory
third-party insurance and, of course, the
various government ministries. RDW aims
to be a professional and reliable partner for
everyone. The general interest of all parties in
the vehicle chain is paramount.
TINEKE NETELENBOS, CHAIR OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
In the centre
of mobility
There seems to have been a slight shift in RDW’s
role in 2008. Would you agree with that?
“RDW’s original aim was to ensure that number plates and
owners are recognised. However, looking back at developments over the years and looking ahead to the future, RDW
seems to have become more of a centre for mobility issues,
representing the interests of the whole chain. I like the name
‘mobility centre’. By that I mean that although we are naturally still concerned with number plates and driving licences,
we are also involved in tax regulations and the environment.
As RDW, one of the aspects of our work is defining the environmental features of cars.”
Is the environmental aspect going to play an
important role in the future?
“Yes, it’s going to be very important. At least thirty municipalities are currently planning a new parking system, partly
based on the car’s environmental features. For that, you
need number plate data. We also consider ourselves a service
centre to the other government authorities. Although RDW
was initially set up for the national government, there is
nothing preventing provinces and municipalities from using
our knowledge and information. Our data is also used for
enforcement (police, justice). There is also an increasing
use of systems like ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and that requires RDW data too. As do police
systems aimed at solving crimes through number plates.
The road pricing scheme ‘Paying Differently for Mobility’
(Anders Betalen voor Mobiliteit) is something else we need to
consider.”
So within the mobility chain…
“…RDW is literally the spider in the web. Now that’s what
you call a real mobility centre. And I haven’t even mentioned
international developments. Countries are increasingly
exchanging data through the EUCARIS system. In the past,
if you exceeded the speed limit in Germany, you wouldn’t
hear anything more about it. That has now changed. More
and more countries are participating in EUCARIS. The
chain is expanding and as the Supervisory Board, we feel that
European coordination, as opposed to developing all kinds of
parallel systems, is important.”
Does the Netherlands have parallel databases
too?
“Some government authorities feel they should be able to
access and edit our database themselves. However, I tell them
that RDW receives around sixty thousand mutations every
day. If everyone started updating the database themselves,
errors would undoubtedly occur. That’s why municipalities like to partner with RDW. I feel that the government
should allow that. The debate is still going on, but ultimately
it all comes down to benefiting the citizen. It’s important to
remember why you exist as RDW. What could be more logical
than to let RDW as a data manager be involved in everything
related to mobility and vehicles?”
How does the citizen benefit from all that RDW
expertise?
“We are becoming more and more IT driven. Private individuals can get information online about their vehicles and
companies can easily communicate with us about things like
the APK (periodic vehicle inspection) or in the future about
the environmental performance of cars.”
What will RDW’s short term focus be?
“IT developments will become increasingly important in the
near future. The Supervisory Board was recently briefed in
detail about Paying Differently for Mobility, related privacy and confidentiality issues, e-governance… these are all
developments that cannot be stopped. We are now
participating in a trial in the Zoetermeer region with On
Board Units (OBUs) in a number of cars, in which people
receive a premium when they leave their car at home during
peak hours. This system registers all vehicle movements and
is therefore a fairly intrusive measure. That’s why privacy is
such an important issue.”
Will RDW be taking on new tasks?
“We are constantly taking on new tasks. Participating in
Paying Differently for Mobility, environmental vehicle
categorisation – now that’s a huge job. All cars have to
be placed in categories, which is not so straightforward.
However, we have agreed that if the government gives us
new tasks, it will have to reserve a budget for them too. We
won’t be doing things for free anymore at RDW. We’ve
already had to make some sacrifices in staff establishment
due to the government’s general task setting, but we are
also funded by charges. RDW cannot allow waiting lists to
develop, because this would rightly enrage citizens. It is clear
that in the future, RDW will have more work to do rather
than less.”
Text: Guus Peters, Photography: Keke Keukelaar
Interview: Supervisory Board
WHO
Tineke Netelenbos
WHAT
Chair of RDW Supervisory Board
AGE
65
CURRENT CAR
Volvo XC70
FIRST CAR
Volkswagen Beetle
(‘white, drove it for 12 years’)
The financial information relating
to 2008 included in this Annual
Magazine was audited by KPMG.
The full statutory Annual Report
2008, including the complete annual
accounts for 2008 and the auditor’s
report are available at www.rdw.
nl. The Supervisory Board approved
the statutory annual report during its
meeting on 13 March 2009.
The Supervisory Board is accountable
for its work to the Minister of
Transport, Public Works and Water
Management in a separate report,
which is also available at
www.rdw.nl.
Zoetermeer, 24 April 2009
Supervisory Board,
Ms. T. Netelenbos
P.P.J.J.M. van Besouw
Ms. P.C. Plooij-van Gorsel
P.W. de Kam
C.A. Vrins
ANNUAL REVIEW
Text: Lucas Boot
This was 2008
2008 saw many developments and changes within the various RDW departments and with respect to road traffic. We could probably fill another annual
report with all the happenings, but we won’t. Instead, here is a review of the
year’s main events.
January
Bicycle theft
register online
At the end of January, the national bicycle theft register became accessible
online for everyone in the Netherlands. At www.fietsdiefstalregister.nl,
anyone can check whether a bicycle has been registered as stolen.
This is useful if someone is planning to buy a second-hand bicycle but has
suspicions. The register processes all reports of bicycle thefts, both thefts
reported at the police station and online reports. Managed by RDW, the
register contains around 4.5 million bicycles.
Twinning with Bulgaria
RDW’s expertise extends beyond our national borders. In 2008, RDW launched a twinning project
with the Bulgarian traffic police. The EVD asked RDW to help Bulgaria improve its vehicle registration.
A number of Bulgarian authorities are working on this already, but mutual and international data
exchange is limited. RDW was asked to analyse the current situation and compare it with other countries,
and to make recommendations for improvement.
APK frequency changed
On 1 January 2008, the frequency of periodic vehicle inspections (APK) changed. A distinction
is now made between types of fuel. New cars (on the road since 1 January 2005) running on
petrol will be inspected for the first time after four years. This will be followed by two inspections at two year intervals and annual inspections thereafter. Vehicles that run on diesel or LPG will
have their first inspections after the usual three years, and then annually. Cars over 30 years old
only require inspection every two years. Models dating from before 1 January 1960 are exempt
from inspection.
Stolen car identification
Stolen cars are increasingly becoming an easily exchangeable
and internationally accepted form of payment in criminal circles.
An effective weapon in the fight against the trade in stolen
vehicles is the identification of suspected vehicles. Tracing their
identity sounds easier than it is in practice. This is specialised
work that used to be performed by the Netherlands Forensic
Institute (NFI). In 2008, this task was completely transferred
to RDW. Because RDW now
performs the investigations itself,
the lead time has been reduced
considerably.
New number plate:
three letters
A historic moment in May: in Driebergen, Camiel Eurlings, the
Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management,
and RDW director Johan Hakkenberg presented an unsuspecting
new car owner with the first copy of the new, three-letter car
number plate. With two numbers, three letters and one number,
the number plate takes some getting used to, but TNO research
has shown that this combination is the easiest to read. Three
million new vehicles can be registered with this combination.
Widescale
vehicle inspection
Last year, RDW checked various vehicles registered
before 1995, which were suspected of not being
used on the road anymore. By carrying out this
check, RDW wanted to prevent people receiving
letters or fines for having a car with no insurance
or APK certificate. Of course, RDW also wanted to
ensure a correct vehicle registration, so that all cars
can rightfully be checked for valid APK certificates
and third party insurance (WA).
Insurance check
In March, RDW wrote letters to owners of uninsured scooters and
mopeds advising them to take their vehicle off the road or have
it insured. The Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) makes insurance obligatory, even if the vehicle is not in use. It later emerged
that a number of companies with scooters and mopeds did not
have a (collective) insurance. In some cases, the insurance company had neglected to register the insurance with RDW.
June
May
MARCH
5
RDW
fifth best
employer
In 2008, RDW received high ratings in the Best
Employers Non-Profit Survey conducted by career platform Intermediair. In its final decision,
Intermediair took into consideration the terms
of employment and employee satisfaction.
RDW reached an honourable fifth place.
Streamlined supervision policy
RDW aims at optimal client focus and maximum efficiency. For this
reason and at the request of the vehicle sector, RDW streamlined
its Recognitions supervision policy in June. In the renewed policy, similar
offences are subject to the same sanctions for the various recognitions and
authorisations, such as APK, business stock and dealers licence numbers
and the mounting of LPG installations.
July
Vehicle register becomes basic register
Price reduction inspections,
surcharges and exemption
permits
On 1 July, RDW reduced many of its charges for inspections,
surcharges and exemption permits. Many inspection charges were
reduced by 5 euros. The surcharge for a diesel
soot measurement, for example, came down
in July from 20 euros to only 15 euros,
while weighing a passenger vehicle now
costs only 5 euros. These interim price
reductions were possible due to the
favourable economy and the efficiency
achieved by RDW.
September
On 1 July 2008, RDW’s vehicle register officially became the ‘basic vehicle register’ for
the government. The register, used by dozens of public bodies, is now one of the ten basic
registers in the Netherlands. This system of basic registers will ensure that citizens and
businesses only need to submit their data once. Public bodies will then be required to get
information from each other’s registers and to contact each other when in doubt.
Registration
certificate and
number plates
separated
Since the end of September, vehicle owners whose
registration certificate has been lost or stolen are no
longer required to buy new number plates. From now
on, only the registration certificate has to be replaced.
The same applies in reverse. So, if the number plate
is lost, it is no longer necessary to apply for new
documents. This saves victims time and money.
And to make it even easier: a new registration
certificate can be requested online at www.rdw.nl.
A ugu s t
Permits for 60 tonners
In 2008, Camiel Eurlings, Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management agreed to admit 60 ton Long and Heavy Transport on Dutch
roads. RDW may now issue permits for this exceptional transport. This
means that trucks may now transport a larger load at one time. And that
has many advantages: less traffic on the road, considerable fuel savings
and fewer CO2 emissions.
10 | R D W A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 8
ANNUALREVIEW
OCTOBER
Segway number plate
You may have seen it drive by: the Segway. On 1 July,
this electrically driven, self-balancing one-person
‘scooter’ was given permission to drive on public
roads. Since mid October, the Segway is required
to have a number plate. To obtain this, the twowheeled Segway must be inspected at an RDW
accredited garage.
EUCARIS wins award
December
Top (customer) service
In December, RDW’s customer service was
awarded the official ITO (Institute for Telecom
Organisation) quality mark. RDW is the first
government agency to receive this quality mark
for both telephony and email processing. The ITO
certificate proves that an organisation complies
with the strict standards imposed by the ITO on
customer service. It is awarded to companies whose
service is characterised by high quality, reliability and accessibility.
The work of the independent ITO is aimed at improving the quality
of customer service in organisations in the Netherlands.
November
The ‘European car and driving licence Information system’
(EUCARIS), an RDW initiative, won the iGovernment
2.0 Award in November. This prestigious award, under the
auspices of the European Commission, was presented for
the best European project related to data exchange within
the European digital government. The jury chose EUCARIS as
the most innovative, practical, applicable and transferrable
system. EUCARIS is used in 19 countries to exchange
information about vehicles and driving licences.
New number plate series for mopeds
In December, all mopeds switched to a new number plate series. The new number plate contains
a combination of one letter, three numbers and two letters. Around 511,000 new mopeds will be
issued with this new combination. Since 1 September 2005, a total of 890,000 mopeds have been
licensed, using up the series with two numbers, three letters and a number.
Peak
avoidance trial
RDW was again one of the participants in the
second Spitsmijden (peak avoidance) trial
launched in September. During the trial, car
drivers travelling between Gouda and The
Hague (A12) every day were rewarded if they
avoided this section of the motorway during
rush hour. Around eight euros a day could be
‘earned’ on the route.
RDW has been involved
in the Spitsmijden
project since the initial
trial in 2006.
Quality certificate gas
tank vehicles
At the end of November, the Dutch Accreditation
Organisation (RvA) granted a quality certificate
that allows RDW to inspect vehicles transporting
compressed gas in accordance with the new EU
directive for Transportable Pressure Equipment (TPED).
This directive means that the approval of a tanker is
valid in all EU countries. Therefore, the gas tank does
not need to be reinspected for import or export within
the EU.
R D W A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 8 | 11
Interview: MANAGEMENT BOARD
JOHAN HAKKENBERG AND HANS VAN SANTEN,
MANAGEMENT BOARD
Text: Guus Peters, Photography: Keke Keukelaar
A year
with two
faces
Johan: “You could say that 2008 was divided into two periods.”
Hans: “A year with two faces. The first nine months were traditional with
things going well, but during the last quarter the recession really began to
take its toll.”
Johan: “This was mainly due to falling revenue. Car sales collapsed,
which was reflected in the reduction of registration certificates issued. We
also carried out fewer type inspections; manufacturers simply put new
developments on the back burner. Finally, the number of periodic vehicle
inspections also declined.”
Hans: “In the first nine months, our turnover grew. However, during the
last couple of months in particular, this growth stagnated.”
Johan: “We have already adjusted our budget for 2009 as a result of those
figures. No one in the sector foresaw the recession. The car industry hoped
to break the mark of 500,000 cars again, as forecasted in 2008, but the crisis
scuppered this ambition. Of course, we need to respond to this, with a view
to our operating statement. If turnover declines while costs remain the
same, you face an operating deficit. Although RDW can take a battering in
financial terms, we had to respond. We did so by saving 15 million on the
budget for 2009. We certainly didn’t want to raise charges at this time.”
Hans: “This was already prepared at the end of last year. By then, we knew
that the crisis would hit us too and that we would have to plan a satisfactory
response. We initially assumed growth of 1 per cent, but we are now
approaching a 20 per cent decline in some revenues, such as in registration
of part IA certificates.”
“WE ACHIEVED OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES
FOR 2008”
Who
Who
Hans van Santen
Johan Hakkenberg
What
Director of Operations RDW
Age
55
Current car
Toyota Yaris
First car
Daihatsu Charade (yellow)
What
General Manager RDW
Age
58
Current car
Nissan X-Trail
First car
Renault 8
‘IN THESE TIMES OF RECESSION,
YOU HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE
TIME WHEN THE MARKET PICKS UP
AGAIN’
Johan: “If a hundred thousand less cars are sold, this means
100,000 fewer registrations costing 39 euros each. That
amounts to nearly 4 million euros. Vehicle registration is a
highly automated process; we can’t just deploy fewer people.
There are not that many people working on it anyway. Our
problem is that we see our revenue falling, while costs will
remain more or less the same if we don’t act.”
Hans: “The strength of this organisation lies in its ability to
respond fast. We are also looking to see how we can turn this
situation into our advantage. Can we create new tasks? Should
we view current processes differently? It could also prove to be
a creative boost. Creativity is inherent to the people here; they
often propose suggestions for solutions.”
Johan: “We did however achieve our main objectives for
2008. Our performance indicators are good. We get the right
percentages with the APK, our telephone accessibility is good,
IT improvements are being implemented, the number of
complaints has fallen. RDW did well in 2008; we launched a
number of important projects. For example, we made a major
contribution to ‘Paying Differently for Mobility’.”
Hans: “The digitalisation programme also progressed. You
can now order a replacement registration document from us
digitally.”
Johan: “In terms of the environment, we also took
the necessary steps. Every car will soon be placed in a
certain emission category. This will be important when
municipalities introduce environmental zones, for example,
or differentiated parking charges.”
Hans: “At the beginning of 2008, there was the issue of the
Segway inspection. How should we define it: is it a vehicle or
not? And if so, what requirements should it meet? It’s not a
scooter, a bicycle or a moped.”
Johan: “It’s not covered by any European legislation. And
the question was: if they are used, where will they be used?
On the pavement, the road or the cycle path? And what is
the status of a Segway driver in the event of an accident?
Enforcement was already a concern for the police. Initially,
we didn’t want to allow the Segway on the public road, but
Parliament put pressure on the Ministries of Transport,
Public Works and Water Management and Justice. The best
solution was to make registration compulsory and allocate it
to a special moped category.”
Hans: “Reviewing the vehicle regulations is another
important development. In our country, we are very
concerned about the number of rules and regulations. This
review particularly meets the needs of manufacturers; RDW
can implement any changes required to vehicle regulations
faster and it relieves the burden on the legal system.”
Johan: “National vehicle regulations have gradually been
replaced by European requirements. For a long time, there
used to be two parallel systems. One system has now been
phased out and we are currently investigating whether we can
simplify the European system and bring it down to a lower
tier of regulations.”
Hans: “Continuing that theme, we are involved in
modernising the APK system. We plan to include airbags
and electronic systems present in the car, such as motor
management, in the inspection. This will be phased in after
1 May 2009.”
Johan: “Besides the quantity, we are also looking at the
quality of the APK. In the summer, a steering group produced
ten short term recommendations and a number that require
further study. A decision on this matter was taken quite
quickly by Minister Eurlings.”
Interview: MANAGEMENT BOARD
Hans: “In 2008, we put a lot of effort into the development
of RDW. Our aim was to become even more proactive
as an organisation and improve our customer focus.
Various activities were developed to that end, including a
pioneering new management training called Tools 2. All
middle management is now participating in this. We want
to help managers develop leadership qualities, improve their
customer focus and take advantage of opportunities and
possibilities.”
Johan: “They must be given more opportunity to develop
personal initiative. Within RDW, we have to realise that you
can’t organise and manage everything centrally. Everything
is becoming more complicated, we have to operate faster
and employees need more freedom. You see, when you build
something up in times of crisis, you need tight management
from the top. But when your organisation is running well, as
RDW is, you can loosen the reins, give people more space,
base management on trust. This enables you to realise the
true potential of your personnel.”
Hans: “The contract with the post offices has been
extended by three years. The less complicated services have
been digitalised. For example, it is no longer necessary
to go to a post office to suspend a vehicle or apply for a
replacement registration document. This service is already
very well used.”
Johan: “Initially, the car industry was rather sceptical.
Gradually, the more ‘sensitive’ services will be digitalised
too. We are aiming for a situation in which you can
also register ownership of a vehicle online, for example.
Moreover, garages are only allowed to register their own
cars. We want to explore whether they could register other
vehicles too. One of the reasons for this is the closing of post
offices.”
Hans: “We place demands on the quality of the sales outlets
that will replace the post offices. And on their distribution;
we want between 650 and 800 sales outlets, with qualified
staff.”
Johan: “The administrative climate can be rather
restrictive. New developments are now being slowed down,
or it takes ages before decisions are made.”
Hans: “As RDW, we attach great importance to constant
renewal and improvement of efficiency. Every year, at least
2 per cent productivity improvement must be achieved.
On top of that, the government has instructed us to
achieve savings through a number of job cuts. However,
we must ensure that this does not endanger our renewal of
processes and working methods. In times of recession, it
can sometimes actually be wiser to start up new things in
order to retain jobs. Support for this approach seems to be
lacking. We closed 2008 with a deficit of 7.1 million, while
we had forecast a deficit of 2.3 million. There are numerous
explanations for this, but it shows operating deficits, which
are uncommon to RDW. For 2009, the operating deficit
is expected to reach 10.5 million. The decline in activities
because of the recession will hit us.”
Hans: “In this time of recession, you should not stop your
renewal processes. On the contrary, you have to prepare for
the time when the market picks up. You shouldn’t just sit
back and wait. We have to continue to invest.”
Johan: “In other words: a recession can put quite a dent
in a business. But you mustn’t make the dent worse than it
is. It’s our responsibility to minimise the damage, so that we
can be ready in the starting blocks when things get better.
Because at RDW we have faith in the future.”
MY FIRST CAR (I)
Text and photography: Liselore Chevalier
Your first car. It’s like your first love: you never
forget it. We asked a number of RDW personnel
about their first car. The result is the collection
of anecdotes below.
Stefan van Leeuwen
Caretaker - RDW Groningen
“It was January 2008 and my baby
Lente was due. Time for my first
car – a 1999 Ford Focus. It’s an
ideal family car and I wouldn’t drive
anything else. It’s spacious and it
drives like a dream.”
Selina Smits
Hans van Geenhuizen
Press Officer - RDW Zoetermeer
“I bought this 1978 Triumph Spitfire
at the side of the road in 1983. The
chap who sold it to me was so careful
with it that I couldn’t even take it for a
test drive in case something happened
to it. I bought it anyway. I shared the
Spitfire virus with other Spitfire fans in
the Triumph Spitfire club. Despite many
expensive repairs, this car gave me
tremendous enjoyment.”
Controller - RDW Groningen
“In 2003, I bought a 1989 Volkswagen
Golf from my neighbour. It only cost
600 euros and we – my husband and I
– knew that it was a good car. We later
sold the car for 550 euros because the
repair costs were higher than the
purchase price. It continued to run well
because I still see it driving around.”
Bjorn van der Schaaf
IT Auditor - RDW Groningen
“When it finally became too dangerous for my eighty-year-old
grandfather to drive on the road, my father told him: “Why
don’t you give that 1982 Datsun Cherry to your grandson.”
He’d had the car for ten years and had only driven 10,000 km
in it, so I was still able to drive it for a long time.”
Wim Tepper
Customer Management and Information Officer - RDW Veendam
“Thanks to the Variomatic acceleration system, my ochre yellow 1978 Volvo 66 raced off the mark beating many a fast BMW at
the traffic lights. After that, it was relegated to the slow lane, because it couldn’t do more than 110 kilometres an hour.
A leaky cylinder head gasket marked the end of this first car. Everything behind me disappeared in smoke. Luckily, before
the ‘explosion’, it had been featured in the Autovisie magazine in an article about the similarities between the Daf 66 and the
Volvo 66. So it lived on for a while.”
Tom van
der Laan
Tester RDW Groningen
“When I returned from
a year of high school in
America in 1975, my
father gave me a five
year old Daf 33 as a welcome home present.
I decorated the car with American number plates
and stickers. When I hit a curb a year later, that
was the end of my lovely little Daf.”
Margreet van der Klei-Spieker
Customer Management and Information Officer - RDW Veendam
“My first car was a second-hand red 1991 Daihatsu Cuore. A super car,
until the day in 1999 when I heard that I’d got a permanent contract with
RDW. I drove home in a celebratory mood. Uttering another whoop,
I wondered: Is my breath smelling that bad? Was something on fire?
Then it started to snow – in the car! The radiator turned out to be broken.
The Cuore couldn’t go another metre. With more repairs expected,
I decided: a new RDW contract, a new Cuore.”
Hans
Noordhuis
Wendy Baar
Secretary - RDW Groningen
“My sister and I shared a 1989
Volkswagen Golf. The first time
that my sister drove it, she took a
sharp bend so fast that I thought
we’d had it. When, miracle
of miracles, the car failed to
flip over or fly off the road, the
only thing my sister said was:
‘Wheeeeeeeeeee’. That was the
last time I got into the car with my
sister at the wheel.”
Network manager RDW Groningen
“I bought my 1981
Toyota Starlet from my
then father-in-law’s
dealership. The car
only had to sniff the ignition key and it started
fantastic. In the end, the car stayed with my
ex-partner. However, I still have a
cuddly toy from that time. I won this
little ‘speed devil’ at a fairground
and it has accompanied me as a
kind of talisman ever since my first
car. It’s outlived quite a lot of cars
so far.”
Strategic
activities
& KEY PROJECTS
Objective 1:
Ensuring continuity of services
ICT Systems
ICT is a key component of the services provided by RDW,
particularly given the increased use of ICT in recent years and
the increase in the number of information systems, which has
also resulted in greater complexity. This growth is reflected in
the fact that ICT now accounts for a larger portion of RDW’s
aggregate operating costs. In 2008, these costs were controlled
through improved internal coordination between ICT and
the various departments and divisions, implementation of an
Enterprise Architecture, and the consistent use of a ‘clean-up
calendar’, among other things. The objective is to integrate
these control measures into our daily business operations.
The demand for ICT use is still increasing, both at RDW and
externally, and we will need to keep investing in and focussing
on this issue in years to come.
Additionally, RDW ensures the general protection of its
information, i.e. information security, and intends to reach
the appropriate security level by carefully balancing risks
against costs. RDW established its information security policy in accordance with ISO 27001, which means that there is a
standard method in place for classifying information systems
along with two risk assessment methods (i.e. limited and
comprehensive), and that the system of standards has been
broadly assigned to specific departments.
The Generic Internet Access (GIA) project has implemented as a separate function the method clients use to identify themselves online to RDW, using open standards. This
allows RDW to comply more easily with standards within the
government domain (such as DigiD). In addition, the authentication methods can be provided technically to third parties,
and the internal production environment is better protected.
In order to ensure reliable and secure ICT systems, a facility
was established in 2008 to record and analyse log data, and
finally, RDW, as in previous years, complies with the Civil
Service Data Security regulations.
Information policy and Basic Vehicle Registration
On 1 July 2008, RDW’s vehicle register became the official
basic vehicle register of the Dutch government, making the
register one of the ten basic registers in the Netherlands. This
registration system also includes the Gemeentelijke Basisadministratie Persoonsgegevens (municipal personal records
database), the Commercial Register and the Basisregistratie
Kadaster (basic land registry). The purpose of the system is to
improve government services to individuals and companies
by sharing previously registered data – such as name, address
and place of business – across government agencies. The
government intends to eventually request this data from individuals and companies on just one occasion, thereby reducing the time they need to spend dealing with government
agencies. This, in turn, will help reduce the administrative
burden, as well as contribute to effective fraud control, law
enforcement and cost savings.
RDW’s vehicle register has served as a highly reliable, comprehensive and up-to-date register of vehicle data and owner
data for many years now, with dozens of government agencies
and – in some cases – private companies using the data contained in the register. The implementation of a basic register
ensures uniform access to vehicle data and related data in the
Netherlands. Over the next several years, RDW and the users
of this data will be implementing a number of necessary
changes, including a requirement for government agencies to
report back to RDW in the event that they doubt the accuracy
of certain data. If the data proves to be inaccurate, RDW will
launch an investigation. Additionally, RDW is updating the
method of providing data from the vehicle register, ensuring
that sensitive data is even better protected. It has been accurately documented what data (or combination of data) that is
to be provided is sensitive in terms of privacy or fraud, or has
too great an impact on the free market. RDW will also be
monitoring the use of sensitive data more closely, while the
rules for providing non-sensitive data will be relaxed. In the
year ahead, RDW will be consulting with consumers of vehicle data about when the compulsory use of the basic vehicle
register can enter into effect.
Administrative burden
RDW is committed to achieving the government objective of
further reducing the administrative burden for both companies and individuals. This involves making proposals to
simplify legislation, improving efficiency and abolishing a
number of regulations. As part of this initiative, RDW completed two projects in 2008. The first of these was the separation of number plates and vehicle registration certificates, as a
result of which it will be no longer necessary to replace both in
the event of loss. This will lead to a reduction of EUR 3.3 million for companies and EUR 1.8 million for individuals
(equating to 185,142 hours). In addition, the frequency of
APK vehicle inspections for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles was altered and the inspection requirement
for older vehicles was cancelled, leading to a reduction of EUR
2.8 million for companies and EUR 8.6 million (equating to
400,000 hours) for individuals.
Objective 2:
Effectively performing our statutory and assigned tasks for our target groups
RDW aims to continue improving both existing
services and to effectively perform newly assigned
statutory tasks.
IMPROVING EXISTING SERVICES
Electronic services provided by RDW
2008 was an important year in terms of electronic services.
Since late 2007, clients have been able to apply for a replacement vehicle registration certificate online. This has proved to
be extremely successful, with RDW processing an impressive
113,281 electronic requests through this service in 2008. In
December, more than 70% of the applications for a replacement vehicle registration certificate were processed online.
RDW also facilitated the use of DigiD. Online Vehicle Information (OVI), an electronic service RDW has been providing for some time, was further expanded in 2008: a business
service is now in place, and private individuals can view what
vehicles are registered in their name. A total of 34.2 million
requests were made through this system in 2008. RDW’s
electronic services are available through www.rdw.nl, the
citizens’ portal https://burger.rdw.nl and the government site
www.mijnoverheid.nl. In 2009, RDW will continue to expand
its online services to a variety of users, including a new service
to be launched in spring 2009 that will allow users to suspend
vehicles online.
ITO certification for Client Contact Centre
‘‘The client comes first’ and ‘first time right’ are frequently
heard catchphrases at RDW’s Client Contact Centre (KCC).
In order to implement these principles and show that agreements related to client services are documented and enforced,
the KCC informed the Institute for Telecommunications
(ITO) in early 2008 that it wished to be considered for ITO
certification. The ITO has developed a quality mark for
organisations that provide client services by telephone and
facts & figures
In 2008, all passenger cars of 25 years and older were registered as older
cars. A total of nearly 196,000 vehicles were built in or before 1983, and the
chances of coming across an older motorcycle are theoretically even greater,
as one in five motorcycles were built prior to 1983. RDW uses different
criteria for older cars: whereas the tax authorities use a standard of 25 years,
RDW defines older cars as vehicles that were built 30 or more years ago.
196,000
online (e.g. by email and through web forms) and that wish to
see their commitment to client focus recognised in the form of
an independent and objective certification. The KCC became
ITO-certified in mid-2008, making the RDW the first government agency to receive certification for both its telephone and
email services.
Implementation of the Vehicle Regulation (IVR)
In 2008, preparations were made for the new vehicle regulations, which will become effective on 1 May 2009. The new
regulation introduces the European category inspection for
vehicle categories for which category certification is not yet in
place at European level, such as commercial vehicles and trailers. In addition, the project involves a number of substantive
improvements implemented as part of the government-wide
‘Beter geregeld’ (‘better regulations’) project. RDW also managed to simplify a number of regulations. In addition to these
substantive changes, a number of regulations were relaxed,
ensuring simplified rules in the future that will be easier to
adapt to changing conditions. RDW has analysed the impact
of these various changes, and plans are underway for actual
implementation in May 2009.
Revamping the APK
There had been a desire for some time to critically review the
content of the APK and to align it more closely with modern
vehicle technology. A first step in this process was taken in
the IVR project, and in 2008 RDW issued a recommendation to the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management regarding a revamp of the APK inspection, to be
implemented in two phases. In doing so, the Netherlands will
be acting in line with trends in neighbouring countries. The
first phase comprises a number of quick wins to be achieved
in 2009, while the second phase consists of a number of improvements that require further analysis, such as electronics,
safety and the environment. Finally, improvements will be
made to reduce the administrative burden, such as simplified
inspection procedures.
Redline
The Redline project, which was launched several years ago
and involved a reorganisation of the process used at the
inspection centres, was completed in summer 2008. As part
of this process, all activities that did not require clients to
be present were moved to the back office, reducing the time
spent by clients at the testing station by approximately 20%.
The various RDW divisions worked closely together throughout the project, which resulted in a significant improvement
of the driver and vehicle registration chain. In conjunction
with the development of the inspection supply prior to the
start of the recession, this resulted in an interim rate reduction
effective 1 July 2008.
Recall
A recall is a repair order issued by a manufacturer after defects
have been detected in a vehicle series that will adversely affect
the environment and/or safety. RDW has been assigned the
responsibility of monitoring the execution of the recall process with respect to EC, ECE and Netherlands certified vehicles
and vehicle parts. This responsibility is set to change as a
result of the new framework directive, which will take effect
at the end of April 2009. Moreover, research has shown that
the recall process can be improved. For example, the process
currently focusses too much on information received from
manufacturers, while information from users is underused.
Information provision about recalls can also be improved,
and there is a need for better coordination with the Food and
Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA), which is responsible for monitoring recalls of other consumer products.
The improvement project is set to be completed in 2009.
NEW STATUTORY
RESPONSIBILITIES
National bicycle theft register
The national bicycle theft register, which is administered and
maintained by RDW, was implemented in January 2008. The
register contains all new bicycles sold since January 2006. All
Environmental issues
Starting in 2009, the Netherlands will be implementing a
number of national environmental measures using vehicle
data from the vehicle register. One example of such a measure
is Anders Betalen voor Mobiliteit (‘Paying Differently for
Mobility’), the establishment of environmental zones for light
commercial vehicles, and the differentiation of motor vehicle
tax and parking charges. To be able to supply the required
data, RDW began in 2008 with preparations to register and
provide environmental data on emission classes and CO2
emissions. These projects are set to continue in 2009.
Anders Betalen voor Mobiliteit is a government measure to
charge drivers based on the number of kilometres driven. In
2008, the government decided that this system will be implemented using GPS technology. As a public service provider
in the vehicle chain and the administrator of the basic vehicle
register, RDW plays a key role in the project. As part of this
initiative, RDW provided support services to the Ministry of
Transport, Public Works and the Environment in 2008.
In addition to providing expertise to the Ministry, RDW
carried out several other activities related to gathering practical knowledge and experience. For example, it launched an
investigation into the role of the regulatory authority in the
case of multi-service providers, performed a test with GPS
measurements and, in conjunction with the Netherlands
Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), it
launched a programme for electronic vehicle identification
(EVI). EVI aims to develop a workable solution for the electronic identification of motor vehicles and, by extension, to
conduct practical research into the application of this type
of identification as part of the ‘Spitsmijden’ mobility project,
which is designed to avoid peak traffic. RDW has outsourced
the development of electronic vehicle identification to TNO,
which has developed an identification technology using a
chip, a reader and a central unit. This On-Board Unit (OBU)
controls communication between the vehicle and the back
office. The technology provides a high level of security as well
as an adequate basis for future developments. It may be possible to link the integrated EVI chip and chips on items such
as number plates, which would make fraud and other misconduct even more difficult. In addition, TNO has developed an
assembly process in which the chip is destroyed as soon as it is
removed. As the commissioning party in this project, RDW
is responsible for directing these activities, including the EVI
practical test to be conducted in spring 2009.
Number plates for Segways
At the insistence of the Dutch House of Representatives, it
was decided in 2008 to permit Segways on public roads in
the Netherlands from 1 July. This required that they be given
number plates, but before this could be done, the technical
requirements for the Segway had to be defined and reported.
This process took longer than anticipated, as a result of which
registration as from 1 July 2008 was not feasible. Instead, a tolerance regulation became effective on 1 July. In conjunction
with Segway Nederland, RDW began inspecting individual
Segways and issuing provisional vehicle registration certificates during the second half of 2008. In February 2009, the
technical requirements were established and the final vehicle
registration certificates were issued.
On-board computer for taxis
The on-board computer for taxis combines improved registration of driving times and resting times with the prevention
of taxi-meter fraud. Within the next two years, all 33,000
taxis in the Netherlands must be equipped with an on-board
computer, which must be used to record data for each ride,
such as driving times, distances and prices in a uniform manner. Through this measure, the government expects to collect
millions of euros in tax revenues that would otherwise have
been lost. In addition, insurers will be better able to trust
statements submitted by policyholders. RDW is responsible
for category certification, as well as for supervising the installation of the on-board computer and performing regular
inspections. In early 2009, RDW will adapt its ICT systems
in order to enable them to register the on-board computer
and link it to a specific number plate. The history of on-board
computers will be recorded as well, for example to check if one
has been moved another taxi. The experience RDW is set to
gain in this projects will prove useful for ‘Paying Differently
for Mobility’ scheme.
facts & figures
2,000,000
police forces in the Netherlands are automatically linked to
the register, which means that any bicycle reported stolen is
automatically added to the register. As a result, any individual
who purchases a second-hand bike can check the register
to see if the vehicle was stolen. In addition, bicycles traced
through the register can be returned to their owners.
With a total of 2 million registered vehicles,
Zuid-Holland is the province with the highest
vehicle population. As you travel a bit further
south, the streets are significantly less crowded:
in Zeeland, only 270,000 vehicles are registered.
Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland and Gelderland
also have more than 1 million registered vehicles
each; numbers in the remaining provinces are
somewhat lower.
COLUMN
Plug me in
Although I prefer the battle cry of a V12 or the roar of a V8, I do support the arrival
of electric cars. As a vehicle for millions, they are simply much more suitable than the
Ferrari Enzo or the 427 Shelby Cobra.
But before the electric car becomes as useful and foolproof as the iPod and the
Senseo, car designers still have a few obstacles to overcome.
Electric cars currently only have a battery range of around 60 kilometres. This might
rise to 100 or 150 kilometres in the future, but that’s about it. The industry is therefore
afraid that the 100% electric car will not race off the shelves.
Opel – which is working hard to complete its electric Ampera – is warning about
range phobia or battery fever among users concerned about becoming stranded with a
depleted battery. This could become a real problem, as it is difficult to recharge a battery
at the side of the road. There are few plug points and recharging takes a long time. No
one wants to spend hours by the side of the road waiting until they can drive off again.
Some entrepreneurs believe that we should build chains of battery switching stations where you can
have your depleted battery replaced every 100 or 150 kilometres. A bit like the knights who used to
stop at inns to refresh their horses when there was a princess to be freed or a dragon to be killed outside
their range. The problems are obvious. If you have to stop every 100 kilometres to change batteries,
a long journey will soon resemble an obstacle course. You could solve this by combining switching
stations with a Starbucks or a La Place restaurant. This would
certainly liven up the proceedings, but it would also prolong the
journey even more.
So it looks as if the 100% electric car will lose the race to the
hybrids, in particular the hybrids that have an electric engine to
drive the wheels as well as a small combustion engine that can
charge the battery as it drives. These cars will have a 60 kilometre
range on the battery but could then continue to drive thanks to the
charging engine. People who drive less than 60 kilometres a day
may never have to use the charging engine at all. Unfortunately,
this is not so good for the engine – or for the petrol. The quality of petrol that has been in the tank for
months will deteriorate considerably. This is something manufacturers will need to think about. It is
clear that short-distance drivers will have to start the charging engine sometimes to keep it in good
condition. A bit like going to the gym. If the engine starts to sputter just as your mobile phone rings
and you are busy avoiding an elk, you might become rather distracted. The solution is being sought
in electronics that monitors everything happening related to the car and only lets the charging engine
start at ‘natural’ moments, for example when you accelerate after a green light. The car will also have to
‘know’ when you will get home; the electronics can then ensure that you arrive with an almost empty
battery rather than a full one, so that you can charge the battery with new and cleaner energy overnight
using excess capacity in the grid. The solution might lie in a clever navigation system, which not only
directs you to your destination, but also adjusts your energy use according to your destination. A car
journey will then be even more fun, because as you arrive home, a lovely woman’s voice will not only
tell you that “You have reached your destination”, but with a bit of luck will add: “Honey, plug me in
please…”
But before the electric car becomes
as useful and foolproof as the iPod
and the Senseo, car designers still
have a few obstacles to overcome
Ton Roks (1953) is editor-in-chief of Autovisie magazine.
Objective 3:
Acquire a good international position in order to exercise influence
International cooperation
820,000
In Europe, there is increasing cooperation with regard to
vehicle documents, driving licences and information provision. Since the early 1990s, information about vehicles and
driving licences has been shared through EUCARIS, a Dutch
initiative. Cooperation on a range of other documentation
and information topics acquired formal status with the
foundation of the EReg (Association of European Vehicle
and Driver Registration Authorities) in 2006. RDW’s deputy
director, Hans van der Bruggen, is currently chairman of EReg.
The association now has 25 members and its own website
www.ereg-association.eu. In 2008, the constitution and
standing orders of the association were approved, together
with the long-term work plan 2007-2010. Details of this plan
included the decision in mid-2008 to establish eight international work groups. In these groups, the European registration authorities will tackle various topical issues – either in
association with the European Commission or not – such as
international data exchange, the chip on the driving licence,
the introduction of the third driving licence directive and
the re-registration of vehicles. Several countries have shown
interest in joining the EReg and negotiations are underway
with Italy, Bulgaria, France and Slovenia.
facts & figures
It is most likely that you drive
a German or a French car.
There were 820,000 Opel cars
and over 800,000 Volkswagens
on the Dutch roads in 2008.
Renault and Peugeot were also
well represented, with 605,000
and 587,000 cars respectively.
In 2007, the Supervisory Board and the Management Board
of RDW visited Brussels on a work and study trip. Following
this visit, an inventory was made of all the consultative bodies
in which RDW takes part. RDW seems to be well represented
with respect to technical requirements related to vehicles but
it could be better represented in and contribute more to the
Raadswerkgroep Transport and the RijbewijsComité. This
will be discussed further in the meeting with the Ministry of
Transport, Public Works and Water Management. Discussions were also held with the Supervisory Board about ideas
for the planned lobby function.
International data exchange
Also in 2008, a lot of effort was put into the further development of the international model for data exchange within
Europe. This model stands for the use of one system,
EUCARIS, which is already in operation. This system is suitable for information exchange for all treaties, agreements and
directives, for all target groups and all relevant functionalities. Using EUCARIS prevents unnecessary expenditure on
all kinds of new systems. National registration authorities
act as points of contact for requests for information from
police and customs, for example. By linking these authorities and using them as an international entry and exit point
for information exchange, a ‘spaghetti’ of systems and links
can be prevented. In short, the existing system streamlines
information exchange, thereby making it more efficient. Furthermore, security and privacy are optimally guaranteed. This
position is shared by all the Dutch ministries involved and by
the foreign registration authorities. In 2008, RDW tried hard
to convince the European Commission, which still wants to
build various separate systems. According to estimates by research agency Gartner, the development and implementation
of a new system costs between 10 and 20 million euros. This is
an unnecessary investment for the member states and the European Commission. The role of the European Commission
can be limited to general coordination and supervision of the
effectiveness of the desired information exchange. This opinion was put forward as the Dutch position in Brussels. Several
other member states have also put forward this position.
facts & figures
There are 11 million vehicles in the Netherlands,
7.5 million of which are passenger vehicles.
The total also includes over 1 million commercial
vehicles and almost as many trailers. Two-wheelers
are less abundant with over 820,000 mopeds and
600,000 scooters.
11,000,000
EUCARIS
Countries linked to EUCARIS can consult each other’s vehicle
and driving licence registers, for example when vehicles are
imported or foreign driving licences are converted. Fifteen
countries currently use this information system. Last year,
Estonia started sharing driving licence information in addition to vehicle data. In 2008, France and Italy indicated their
interest in participating. Together with Slovenia, Poland and
Norway, they should have access to EUCARIS very soon.
In 2007, EUCARIS was extended to support the Treaty of
Prüm. In 2008, this treaty was converted into two Council
Decisions of the European Commission meaning that by
2011 at the latest, all 27 Member States of the Union will use
the technology. In 2008, six countries had already subscribed
to ‘Prüm’. A new module has also been developed enabling
personal data to be exchanged internationally so that fines can
be imposed on foreigners. In 2008, only the Netherlands and
Germany used this module, while France was busy installing
it for data exchange with Germany. The use of this module
as from 2009 between France and Belgium and within the
EUCARIS
Benelux has also been discussed. This EUCARIS application
is also expected to be used within the context of many other
bilateral and multilateral agreements.
In 2008, the availability of EUCARIS was around 97%. This
percentage is expected to be even higher when all countries
switch to the new and more stable EUCARIS II technology
in 2009.
Despite the increased number of connections, the number
of requests in EUCARIS fell slightly in 2008. This was due to
the decline in vehicle imports and exports as a result of the
economic crisis. Most requests to EUCARIS are made during
import procedures. Furthermore, some countries experienced technical problems during the switch to EUCARIS
II, which prevented them from consulting EUCARIS for a
while. Although these problems were quickly resolved, this
did affect the total number of requests. With the roll-out of
the Prüm application in more and more countries and the
more wide-scale exchange of fine data, use of EUCARIS will
increase strongly in 2009.
Requests with hit
Rejections / refused re-registrations
2008
6,480,885
20,676
2007
6,521,653
21,607
2006
6,518,315
16,495
2005
5,140,218
15,193
2004
4,799,187
14,553
Further data exchange
Research agency Gartner investigated whether the EUCARIS
technology is suitable for a European system for exchanging
driving licence data: RESPER. The results were published
in 2008 and were very positive for EUCARIS. The resulting
recommendation to the European Commission was to use the
EUCARIS technology for RESPER. The research agency also
advised using EUCARIS for all transport-related European
data exchange.
Despite Gartner’s positive advice and despite being
awarded the prize, the European Commission still wants to
build its own system for exchanging driving licence information. In 2008, the EUCARIS countries sent a joint letter to the
members of the European driving licence committee that will
decide about the system.
International network extended
In 2008, RDW received eight foreign delegations. Besides
‘regular’ visitors from the newest member states, there were
also delegations from Malaysia and Indonesia. People tend
to see RDW as a ‘best practice’ from which they can learn.
In the first six months of 2008, RDW successfully launched
and completed two twinning projects in Romania and Bulgaria. At the end of 2008, the EVD made funds available for
a project for the Bulgarian traffic police. RDW will provide
support in improving the Bulgarian vehicle register until
mid 2009.
At the request of Curaçao, several experts travelled to the
island in the spring of 2008 to advise about vehicle registration, admission, crime prevention and legislation. At the
end of 2008, Curaçao requested an extension until the end
of 2009. In 2008, RDW was also asked to provide its support
in other advisory and support projects. These projects in
Algeria, Albania and Turkey, among others, are expected
to start in 2009.
After a stringent selection process, an RDW employee was
recruited by the European Commission. This person will
be seconded for two to six years at the Directorate General
for Enterprise and Industry, working in the field of vehicle
technical legislation. Such initiatives strengthen the international position of RDW.
International consultation
RDW represents the Dutch government in international
consultations on vehicle requirements that affect the
environment, traffic safety and public health. In 2008,
RDW was closely involved in the following developments:
»» The European Commission wants to relax vehicle requirements related to pedestrian protection based on a Brake
Assist System (BAS). The new EC Directive on Pedestrian
Protection therefore includes a BAS specification. This
shows how such brake assist systems should be assessed. At
council level, the new EC Directive was approved in 2008.
Some sections will be assessed in the European Parliament
at the beginning of 2009.
»» Within the UN-ECE, agreement was reached about the
final text of a global technical regulation for pedestrian
protection. This was done in the framework of the global
harmonisation of vehicle requirements aimed at improving pedestrian safety in the event of a collision.
»» In the framework of the global harmonisation of headrest
requirements, a new global technical regulation was developed. This also includes requirements aimed at whiplash
prevention. Unfortunately, the headrest specified in this
regulation is too low for Dutch standards and there is not
yet a satisfactory dynamic test. RDW wants to counter
these shortcomings by launching a second phase related to
the regulation.
1%
In October 2008, EUCARIS won the ‘iGovernment 2.0
Award’. This is an award for the best European project in
the field of data exchange within European digital government. More information about EUCARIS can be found at
www.eucaris.net.
facts & figures
Compared with 2007, the number of
commercial vehicles rose by 1 per cent last
year. Light commercial vehicles are most
common on Dutch roads. With a total of
910,000, they easily exceed the 173,575
commercial vehicles heavier than
3,500 kilos.
facts & figures
138%
Of the major automobile manufacturers, FIAT showed the
largest growth over the last year. The Italian manufacturer
saw 1st registrations increase by 10.5 per cent. However,
the absolute winner is Dacia, who is leading the small car
category with 138 per cent more 1st registrations.
Scoring lowest among the big names was KIA and among the
smaller names, Chrysler. They saw their 1st registrations
fall by 28.8 and 35.5 per cent respectively.
»» In 2008, the framework directive 2007/46/EC was further developed along the lines of CARS21. The technical
specifications were also described in more detail. CARS21
is a policy plan of the European Commission aimed at improving the competitiveness of the European car industry.
Measures include simplifying regulations and replacing
European guidelines by UN-ECE rules, which are accepted
more widely than just within the EU. A start was made
in the form of a draft General Safety Directive in 2008.
As a repair measure, the Technical Committee for Motor
Vehicles (TCMV) approved an amendment to the Certificate of Agreement at the end of 2008. The Certificate of
Agreement now takes commercial cars, vans and trailers
more into account. A start was also made with harmonising demands for the individual inspection of passenger
vehicles and commercial vans, which are manufactured in
greater numbers outside the EU.
»» Finally, the European Commission cautiously started further elaboration of regulations that should enable manufacturers to carry out their own tests and use virtual tests
instead of physical tests.
»» Research into accidents has shown that Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) can be one of the most effective systems for
preventing accidents and traffic casualties. For this reason,
regulations are being developed to assess ESC for passenger
vehicles and light commercial vehicles.
»» Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) in cars
can contribute to both traffic safety and fuel savings.
The European Commission therefore wants to make TPMS
compulsory. In collaboration with other parties involved,
RDW conducted research into current tyre pressure in passenger vehicles in use with and without TPMS. The results
were incorporated in a proposal for a UN-ECE work group
to prepare regulations.
»» The European Commission wants to work towards a higher
percentage of environmentally-friendly vehicles in the
vehicle fleet. For the mutual acceptance of hydrogendriven vehicles, harmonised specifications are required.
The first step, an EU directive containing a more fundamental basis for the specifications, was recently approved
through co-decision.
»» In 2008, the final decision-making stage was reached for
UN-ECE regulation No. 48. This regulation sets requirements for the operating voltage of the main vehicle lights.
These lights must have the right operating voltage, which
may not be too high. Higher voltages not only make the
lights brighter than intended, they considerably reduce
bulb life. Relatively new cars driving with defect lights
have become an increasingly common sight on the road in
recent years.
»» In 2008, the EU’s Environmental Council approved the
proposal to implement the Euro 5 and Euro 6 regulations
published in 2007. This concerns a tightening of the emission regulations for passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles. These regulations were published in July
2008.
Objective 4:
Permanent investment in staff and the organisation
Triple E
In 2008, the first phase of the Triple E (Efficient and Effective
training with E-learning) project was launched. This phase
involved an initial development of and an introduction to the
new training vision. A demo was produced with information
about the new training method and the first part of a learning
and content management system (LCMS) was developed.
Four modules were also set up. General (an introduction to
RDW), Integrity, Identification & Document Recognition
and Recording Equipment & Speed Restrictor. An interim
evaluation revealed that users are very positive about the
modules. The development of training in the framework of
the IVR project was started in the second half of 2008.
Strategic HR policy
45,687
The strategic HR policy is aimed at creating a solid basis for
personnel policy and tools. As such, it contributes to the
personal development of management staff and employees,
thus enabling them to implement RDW strategy and achieve
the associated corporate goals. In 2008, various projects from
the strategic HR plan adopted in 2007 were tackled with great
enthusiasm. The management training programme Tools was
launched. Around 100 managers are taking part in this. The
preliminary investigation into a new job classification system
was also completed. This will be implemented in 2009. Other
projects such as the introduction of personnel planning, integral health management and the digital development plan are
in full swing and will be continued in 2009.
New job classification system RDW
The current job description system is task-oriented, detailed
and varies with regard to design and approach in each division or department. The basis of a well implemented Strategic
HR Plan is a new job classification system, which is resultoriented, flexible and mutually comparable. A preliminary
study was conducted in 2008. Firstly, the requirements for
a new classification system were outlined. This was used as a
basis on which to test various alternatives, study job classification systems in other organisations and chart the costs and
benefits of the various options. The job classification system
at RDW is based on that of the Directorate-General for Public
Works and Water Management. Naturally, the implementation of the new RDW classification system will be custom
work. From the preliminary study, it can be concluded that
generic job descriptions in job families is most suited to RDW.
At the end of 2008, the MT RDW approved the plan of action
for the new job classification system.
facts & figures
Tools
We are happy to work with
our neighbours with respect to
the individual import (i.e. not
through official importers) of
vehicles. Some 45,687 passenger
vehicles entered our country
from Germany and around
10,000 from Belgium. France
was in third place with 2,687
cars. The same trio heads the
list of commercial vehicles, but
when it comes to motorcycles
and mopeds, Italy comes in at
number two behind Germany.
The management training programme Tools contributes to
the (permanent) development of middle management skills.
As such, it also makes an important contribution to achieving
RDW’s strategic goals. In 2008, eight groups were started involving all the managers (around 100). All Tools programmes
have now been filled. The participants claim to be satisfied to
very satisfied. The management training programme will be
accredited by Business School Netherlands.
Terms of employment
After 9 years with Achmea Arbo, we have switched to Maetis.
Their approach better reflects RDW’s current plan of moving
from an absenteeism policy to health management. It was
also a good time to modify rules and protocols regarding
illness. The philosophy behind this approach is that illness is
involuntary, while absenteeism is voluntary. The emphasis
lies on how managers can handle absenteeism control / health
management. Company doctors expressly advise and coach
managers on their responsibility to work with employees
and find what is necessary for them to perform optimally.
Maetis started its service provision on 1 January 2008. As a
baseline measurement, the absenteeism analysis scan at the
start of the year revealed how managers in each department
view absenteeism and their approach to it. All managers were
invited to information sessions during which they learned
about the Eligibility for Permanent Disability Benefit (Restrictions) Act and the Maetis approach based on contractual
agreements.
In 2008, a start was also made with the digitalisation of
health and safety support for managers. This is an efficient
tool for fulfilling their own management role, giving managers up-to-date information about the medical status of their
employees at any given time.
On department level, Social Medical Team meetings are
held with the relevant managers. The main theme of these
meetings is to discuss how Integral Health Management can
be shaped and developed within RDW and in particular in
their own department. Individual case studies are addressed
in ‘three-way interviews’: employee, company doctor and
manager. During these interviews, they discuss what is required to be able to perform optimally at work if there are
restrictions. Absenteeism fell to 4.0 per cent in 2008.
Integrity
As mentioned above, RDW’s mission is to be a professional
and reliable partner for all parties involved in the vehicle
chain. For a public organisation like RDW, integrity is vital.
Any violation can severely affect its professional and reliable
image. Until recently, staff were informed about integrity and
codes of conduct through a folder and documentation on the
intranet. In addition, a dilemma was discussed every month
in the personnel magazine ‘Katalysator’ and current dilemmas were addressed during work meetings.
In order to add substance to this rather abstract subject and
to improve staff skills in acting responsibly and with integ-
facts & figures
rity, a ‘blended’ training programme is being developed. The
entire programme consists of a combination of e-learning
and additional behavioural training. The e-learning part of
the ‘Integrity’ module was developed in 2008 and is mainly
aimed at raising awareness of integrity themes, knowledge
dissemination about norms and how to act when faced with
dilemmas. The module was first rolled out in the Vehicle
Technology division. In 2009, other, mainly new staff will
be given the opportunity to follow the module. In 2009 the
development of the additional behavioural training will be
started.
Counsellors
In 2008, the number of counsellors was extended by a
permanent counsellor in the south of the country. A counsellor in the north of the country is currently deputising for a
counsellor in Zoetermeer. Six counsellors have now been
appointed at RDW.
Employee satisfaction survey. Respons 3!
Every three or four years, RDW conducts a survey into
employee satisfaction. This happened again in 2007, under
the name ‘Respons3!’. The aim of the survey is to gain insight
into the wishes, expectations and experiences of all employees
as well as into the effect of improvement points from previous
surveys. Based on the survey results, the departments and
divisions formulated their improvement points in the first
quarter of 2008. These were adopted by MT-RDW in March
2008. In order to keep ‘a finger on the pulse’, it was agreed to
report on the progress of the improvement points to MTRDW every six months. The first progress report in October
2008 shows that 197 improvement points had been formulated. Of these, more than half (56%) had been completed or
incorporated in standard business operations between March
and October 2008. Two more progress reports are published
in March and October 2009.
5.8%
2008 proved to be a busy year for the police regarding vehicle
theft. Although the number of registered thefts of passenger
vehicles and trucks declined by around 6 per cent, considerably
more two-wheelers were reported stolen than in 2007. Because
15 per cent more motorcycles and almost 20 per cent more mopeds
were reported stolen, the total number of registered vehicle thefts
rose by 5.8 per cent.
facts & figures
The moped owner is not necessarily under 18.
Nearly 154,000 people aged between 35 and 50 also
own a moped. Only 44,000 minors have a moped.
Of a total of 460,000 moped owners, 9.6 per cent are
minors.
460,000
Objective 5:
To be a communicative organisation: transparent and open
Strategy development
Strategy development at RDW follows a control cycle. This
means that its mission is developed based on RDW’s reason for
existence. A SWOT analysis is then performed and strategic
objectives are formulated. On the basis of these strategic objectives, the annual plan is developed, which in turn leads to
the various sub-plans of the organisation units. In this process, RDW’s various target groups are assigned a bigger role.
In the new control cycle, they are actively involved in the
strategy development.
The target groups are asked about their desires, demands
and developments. They can also actively influence RDW’s
strategy. Besides this greater external influence, RDW
employees are also more involved. Increasing use will
be made of internal knowledge in strategy development.
Through its new control cycle and ‘outside-in’ and ‘bottom-
up’ approach, RDW hopes to be more proactive in optimising
its added value for the target groups.
Target group policy
RDW serves a wide range of target groups, such as principals, partners, clients/users and citizens. These target groups
have different relationships with RDW and vice versa.
In turn, RDW plays both the role of service provider and
supervisory body. Each target group has different needs
regarding the quality of service, price/quality ratio, transparency and participation, for example. This requires a differentiated approach to target groups. In the coming period,
RDW will flesh this out by providing a more structured target
group specific service, aimed at achieving the desired added
value for those target groups.
MUSIC & CARS
Tekst: Cora Woudstra, Beeld: Getty Images, Hollandse Hoogte, iStockphoto
playlist
01: Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
02: Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
03: Drive My Car – The Beatles
04: Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
05: Met de vlam in de pijp – Henk Wijngaard
06: Silver Thunderbird – Marc Cohn
07: Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen
Turn up the music
Pop, rock, blues, classic or jazz? What do you listen to in the car? Music and cars have
always been connected. New models and timeless classics have inspired numerous
songwriters to pen some great songs.
01: Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
The now classic rhythm & blues song ‘Mustang Sally’ was originally by Mack Rice, but it was Wilson Pickett who made
it famous with his 1966 version. The song was originally called ‘Mustang Mamma’, but Aretha Franklin invented the title
‘Mustang Sally’. The 1965 Ford Mustang, the subject of the song, was a great success from the moment it was introduced.
‘I bought you a brand new Mustang, a nineteen sixty-five.’ ‘Mustang Sally’ was also covered by Solomon Burke, Bruce
Springsteen, Muddy Waters, and other.
02: Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
In 1988, Tracy Chapman suddenly acquired world fame by unexpectedly appearing at Nelson Mandela’s
seventieth birthday concert in Wembley Stadium. One of the songs she sang was ‘Fast Car’ from her untitled debut
album. In the song, a girl tries to escape from her miserable existence by eloping with her boyfriend. ‘Take your fast
car and keep on driving.’ This year, Tracy Chapman brought out a new album, ‘Our Bright Future’, and she plays
acoustic concerts.
03: Drive My Car – The Beatles
In 1962, the Fab Four wrote the song ‘Drive My Car’, about a girl who wants to become a film star. It is the opening number
on the ‘Rubber Soul’ album, their first real masterpiece. The songs are lively and exhilaratingly original, both in composition
and in arrangement. They are a perfect reflection of the energy of the 1960s, which the Beatles were expert in capturing.
The song ends with the ironic words: ‘I got no car and it’s breaking my heart, but I’ve found a driver and that’s a start’.
04: Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
‘Let’s waste time chasing cars around our heads’, the lead singer of the Scottish band Snow Patrol sings
passionately. ‘Chasing Cars’ is Snow Patrol’s biggest hit to date. It is a moving song about love. The song became
particularly popular when it was used in the emotional final scene of the last episode of Grey’s Anatomy. The title
refers to the expression ‘Like a dog chasing a car’. You impulsively chase your great love, but what do you do when
you catch up to her?
05: Met de vlam in de pijp – Henk Wijngaard
Thirty years ago, Henk Wijngaard topped the charts with ‘Met de vlam in de pijp’. He wrote the song while working as
a part-time lorry driver. It is still very popular and last year was even voted the favourite truckers’ hit by Nieuwsblad Transport
magazine. ‘Deportees’ by protest singer Woody Guthrie was a good second and in third place was André van Duin with
the appropriately titled ‘File’ (Dutch for traffic jam).
06: Silver Thunderbird – Marc Cohn
The song ‘Silver Thunderbird’ dates from 1991. Marc Cohn became famous with the song ‘Walking in Memphis’, in
which he sings about Elvis. In his second hit, he sings with passion about one of his other heroes: the T-bird. The Ford
Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 as a rival to the Chevrolet Corvette. The Thunderbird was a sporty, luxury car
that was not intended for racing, but rather for relaxed touring. ‘Great big fins and painted steel, man it looked just
like the Batmobile’, Cohn sings admiringly years later.
07: Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen
The Boss is well known for his songs about cars. At the age of seven, he saw Elvis Presley perform in The Ed Sullivan Show
and knew that he wanted to be a singer. Years later, he covered Presley’s hit ‘Pink Cadillac’. It was the second song that
Springsteen sang about that car. In 1980 he had already had a hit with ‘Cadillac Ranch’. ‘Pink Cadillac’ is a fun rockabilly
number with texts like ‘Honey, I just wonder what you do there in the back of your pink Cadillac’.
Text: Toine van der Heijden
RDW ONLINE
Digital
services:
NOW ALSO PERSONALISED
Digitalisation is an important dimension in RDW’s work.
Initially, it enabled RDW to process, save and use large
volumes of data. But over the last couple of years,
digital instruments have also been used to give private
individuals and other interested parties direct access
to relevant information. Not only to see what is
registered, but also to add new information or
rectify incorrect data.
Digitalisation
improves the effectiveness of RDW; processes run faster and require fewer
actions. This advantage also applies to organisations and companies that use
RDW data, and increasingly to private individuals. Digitalisation reduces any
inaccuracies in the various databases due to the creation of automatic links and
because users have faster access to improvements relevant to them. Furthermore,
digitalisation facilitates the use of RDW databases and reduces the administrative
burden. So far, the focus has been directed at the development of new services and
the improvement of existing ones. In 2008, DigiD was introduced as a unique key
to personalised information on the websites of RDW and MijnOverheid. In the
next few years, this will form the basis for the launch of new digital services, aligned
to individual users’ needs. It is satisfying to see the use of the digital services grow
steadily as the range of services expands.
Digital searching
For some time, RDW has offered users the opportunity to request information
online about things like insurance, inspection dates and environmental data
associated with vehicles. The number of visits has grown annually by 20 per cent in
recent years and reached 34 million in 2008. The data could be requested by entering a licence number. The Personal Data Protection Act does not allow the name
of the owner to be visible to anyone other than the owner. Last year, a system was
developed that links online vehicle information to personal data and is only accessible to the person involved. Since December 2008, interested parties can request
an overview of vehicles on their name using DigiD.
In 2008, it also became possible to request online vehicle information via
MijnOverheid.nl. This website is currently being developed in the framework of
the Personal Internet Page (PIP) programme, aimed at giving every citizen access
to relevant government information through a personal internet portal. During
2008, this digital service was gradually rolled out to the first participants. By the
end of 2008, 250 government authorities and implementing organisations had already joined this initiative, including RDW. An associated project is the mailbox,
which enables users of the personal internet page to exchange emails with affiliated government organisations. At the end of 2008, funds were made available
for the development of this digital government mailbox at RDW. The first phase
consists of a mailbox for vehicle-related information
on the RDW website. This is expected to be operational
before summer 2009. If it is a success, this mailbox will
then be transferred to the personal internet page and
made available to other services. The plan is for the
MijnOverheid website to be a fully fledged portal to
relevant government services by 2012, with information
grouped around important life moments and events.
Digital inspections
Since 2007, recognised APK inspection centres can use
an online reporting system. These digital reports are
often part of a wider package offered by specialised
service providers, but direct reporting to RDW is also
possible via the digital service APK Webdirect.
In 2008, the Public Prosecution Service instructed
RDW to raise its control of reports to 100 per cent. This
was because the vehicle information database contains
400,000 cars without APK test reports. Some of these
vehicles are registered under the name of people who
claim they are no longer the owner. The car has either
Electronic identification saves
people time and eliminates
the need for various formalities
been scrapped or sold, but the transfer of ownership or suspension has not
been correctly processed. RDW wrote to 270,000 owners of a car that is
probably no longer in use – because no road tax has been paid for thirteen
years – with a request to report to them.
People who have been given an APK fine by the Central Fine Collection
Agency will also be given the opportunity to correct any inaccuracies in the
registration quickly and easily. These corrections will be processed in writing, but easier access to online vehicle information and the introduction
of digital suspension is expected to result in a rapid decline in the number
of incorrectly registered vehicles in RDW databases in the coming years.
The 100 per cent control on APK reports encourages vehicle owners to
correctly register transfer of ownership.
Digital suspension
Owners of camper vans, old-timers or other vehicles sometimes want
to take their property off the road temporarily. It is possible to suspend
vehicle obligations such as insurance, road tax and APK by requesting a
suspension document. In 2008, the online version of this service was developed, making digital suspension an option in the spring of 2009.
In 2008, 367,000 vehicles were suspended. These were mainly passenger
vehicles, although a considerable number of suspension documents were
issued to moped owners. Motorcycles were also regularly suspended.
Digital suspension is possible for vehicle owners who login using DigiD, so
that the identity of the vehicle owner can be verified.
Digital replacement
Since 2007, if a vehicle owner loses his registration certificate, a replacement copy can be requested online. In 2008, as in the previous year, this
digital service of RDW was used in 57 per cent of all requests for replacement registration certificates. In December, however, this number soared
to 70 per cent. This is probably due to the introduction of several new
digital services at RDW, as a result of which more and more vehicle owners find their way to the website. The advantage compared with traditional
counters is that the website is accessible 24/7 and that the information is
processed quickly.
Digital union
Due to increasing cross-border traffic within the European Union,
data exchange between the different European countries is becoming more important. In order to promote the exchange of vehicle
and driving licence data between public authorities and insurers,
RDW and Unisys have since 1994 been developing the EUCARIS
system: the European Car & Driving Licence Information System.
The aim of the system is to prevent cross-border theft and fraud. EUCARIS is not a central register; it is merely a network that links the
various databases. In 2008, Germany and the Netherlands launched an experiment in which they exchanged information about road traffic offenders. In 2009, France, Belgium and Luxembourg will also join this exchange.
It is expected that all EU countries will use this network in the future.
In 2008, as a result of a decision of the Council of Europe, EUCARIS became part of the legal infrastructure in the European Union. Within three
years, all police authorities in the member states must have joined. In 2008,
the system was awarded the iGovernment 2.0 Award during the European
summit on Digital Government in Rome.
Digital identification
As many as 9 million people in the Netherlands hold a driving licence and
this number will rise to 11 million when the moped licence is introduced
in 2009. The new driving licence launched by RDW at the end of 2006
incorporates security features that reflect European norms for official
identity documents. With the approval of the Ministry of the Interior and
Ministry of Justice, at the end of 2008 RDW proposed using an amended
version of the new driving licence as a digital identity document as an
alternative to the electronic national identity card (eNIK). The new driving licence is designed in a way that makes the addition of a chip relatively
simple. Passports and official identity cards already have such a chip, which
stores a digital image of the used passport photo, among other things.
During checks at airports, Customs can see at once whether the identity
card has been tampered with. Modifications to systems and infrastructure
for the modified driving licence and the preparation of its production and
distribution can be completed within three years, according to RDW. That
means before 2012, which is a deadline in Europe for a uniform driving
licence with secure chip.
Electronic identification is important for RDW because processes like
transferring license numbers to new owners can be facilitated by digital
recognition. This saves people time and eliminates the need for various
formalities. The required investment is more than compensated by the
potential cost reduction, particularly when more government departments will use this smart card. Interest has been shown by the Dutch Health
Care Insurance Board, which considers using electronic identity cards for
safe access to digital patient files.
Digitalisation
RDW pioneering in
online service provision
All transporters of loads exceeding legal limits come into contact with the
Exceptional Transport Permit (TET) department. Since 2008, this permit can be
requested via the RDW website. Requesting a permit online takes just three minutes.
Until recently, requesting an exemption permit for exceptional transport was a paper-intensive process. The request was filled in, then faxed,
after which an RDW employee entered the data
in a database. After a trial period at the start of
2008, it was decided to process the requests digitally from then on. The main objectives: convenience and – most importantly – time gains.
Paperwork
One of the users of the new online RDW service
is Heavy International Services, a company specialising in the transport of exceptional loads.
The transport company has been using the
online service since the trial period. Wim Cassimon of Heavy International Services: “The
main advantage is the lack of paperwork. We
receive the confirmations much quicker and
can therefore work faster.” Wagenborg Nedlift,
another transporter of exceptional loads gives
an example to show what Cassimon means. “We
have 700 to 900 individual requests every year.
Yesterday afternoon alone I made five requests.
With so many permit requests, the online service
provides definite time gains,” says Gert Kleis
from the Groningen-based company. Nowadays, he spends no more than three minutes on
each case.
Speed
Between requesting the permit and the moment
the load can actually drive off, there is often only
two days, so well within the term of two to five
working days aimed at by RDW. On behalf of
Bolk Almelo, Ian Kleisen is a regular user of the
digital service: “The speed with which a permit
is issued depends on the size and the weight of
the transport. It can take two days for transport
with common dimensions, increasing to ten
days for less usual dimensions.” Because even
in the world of exceptional transport, there are
exceptions. A 10 metre wide
drawbridge or 50 metre long
windmill sails require more
organisation. Ian Kleisen: “If
RDW has a mandate, ‘simple’ loads go very fast. Everything is then arranged in
half a day. But that applies to
certain dimensions. Beyond
these dimensions, RDW has to ask permission
from the road authority.”
‘We receive confirmation
much quicker and can
therefore work faster’
Re-use
According to Gert Kleis, the digital system is
ideal for another reason. “It enables us to re-use
old applications. Sometimes it’s just a question
of a couple of simple adjustments. You see that it
then goes faster at RDW too.” And working digitally is more orderly. “All requests are easy to review. We put them in one public folder, to which
several people in our company have access.”
Wim Cassimon is enthusiastic about the Dutch
approach: “Because we operate in Germany and
Belgium as well as the Netherlands, we can see
the difference. In Belgium, requests for permits
are still sent by post. We only receive a reply after
four weeks. Through RDW, it usually takes one
week for loads above a ton and for loads with
more common dimensions considerably less.”
E-GOVERNANCE
RDW’s digital initiatives are highly
commended by Ank Bijleveld, state secretary
of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom
Relations. “Implementing organisations like
RDW take initiatives and successful digital
instruments are the result.” She sees the RDW
initiative for a chip with e-signature on the
new driving licence as a fine example of how
the e-government can be improved in the
coming years. All ideas for the improvement
are contained in the National Implementing
Programme for better service provision and
e-government, NUP. Bijleveld: “An ambitious
programme about how we will jointly
strengthen the e-government in the coming
years. RDW takes a prominent position in
the programme. “And the digital request of
permits for exceptional transport is a great
example of this.
Text: Yvonne Jansen, Photography: Keke Keukelaar
Interview: Guus Wesselink
AVc: public-private
crimefighter
In one respect, Guus Wesselink, founder and director of
the Foundation for Tackling Vehicle Crime (AVc), resembles the criminals he has been fighting for the majority of
his working life: he has connections everywhere. At the
AVc, the former policeman and born networker capitalises
on all his experiences, together with a number of very committed partners, including RDW.
Car theft used to be a piece of cake: fiddle with the lock, connect some
wires, and you’re off. Starter interrupters, board computers and tracker
devices all make it more difficult. However, even with new technology,
the number of car thefts would not have fallen so much if RDW, the
Ministry of Justice, the police, the Public Prosecution Service, ANWB,
RAI, BOVAG, Transport en Logistiek Nederland, insurance companies
and some other organisations hadn’t teamed up.
“No other European country has such a culture of cooperation”, claims
director Guus Wesselink, looking back on eleven years of AVc. “The
awareness that we need each other is very deep. Top priority for
the parties involved is data sharing, combined with the exchange
of expertise. All parties contribute to the costs too. That breeds
commitment. Without this joining of forces, we would be playing into
the hands of criminals who have specialised in VIN switching: identity
fraud that involves ‘legalising’ a stolen car by giving it the chassis
number of a scrapped car of the same model.”
Organised crime
Statistics prove beyond doubt that a public-private joining of forces is
the right formula. Wesselink: “There’s been a 60 per cent fall in the
number of car thefts since the foundation of AVc and it’s still going down
slowly. We’re also making progress in tackling other kinds of crime:
theft of loads or parts, pleasure boats or – a typical Dutch nuisance –
moped and bicycle theft.”
Nevertheless, crime fighters are struggling in their fight against vehicle
crime, because criminals are becoming more professional and the
Netherlands is not an island. Wesselink: “Where passenger vehicle
theft is concerned, we get the most obvious culprits, the amateur thieves.
What remains are the real professionals. In 20 per cent of the cases,
the stolen cars are less than three years old and are generally never
seen again. Within a few hours, they’ve crossed the border, complete
or in parts. It’s estimated that 30 to 40 per cent of all vehicle thefts in the
EU are committed by organised criminals. Extensive networks, teams of
varying compositions: a principal, an intermediary, a thief, a supplier.
The thieves are caught, but the people behind them remain out of
range. It pains me to say that property crime is not a high priority.
Crime involving blood and violence scores higher. In international
terms, the approach to vehicle crime by police and justice has zero
impact. In our border regions, however, police corps work well
together. But in a wider European perspective, 27 different legal
systems cause almost unsolvable problems. Fortunately ‘Brussels’ has
recently shown more interest in the debate on vehicle crime initiated
in particular by the Netherlands. We not only want more intensive
cooperation, we want prevention.”
Microdots
With respect to prevention, Wesselink feels that the technical potential
is totally untapped. The AVc director picks up a small lamp, which
he uses to trace microdots, tiny flakes on which the vehicle’s chassis
number is etched. “You can spread them like grains of sugar over
the main parts. A part can then easily be identified as coming from
one stolen car. This makes it practically impossible to disguise a car’s
identity. In Australia, thieves soon learned to avoid the models whose
main parts were marked like this.”
In Europe, the car industry is not keen on that extra work. Unbelievable,
says Wesselink: “Dotting parts costs almost nothing and has huge
benefits. A robot does all the main parts in 40 seconds. In terms
of money, that is 15 euros per car. According to our Australian
colleagues, this practice leads to 80 per cent less theft!”
AVc and partners are now trying a different approach, taking on
European politics. Not without result: “The European Commission is
carrying out a feasibility study into the obligatory introduction of these
promising little weapons, invisible to the human eye, in the fight against
vehicle crime.”
MY FIRST CAR (II)
Jeroen Fridrichs
Production Consultant - RDW Veendam
“My first car was a tin can on wheels – a Daihatsu Cuore. I can’t remember its build date. After passing my driving test, I bought
the car from one of my mother’s colleagues. It must have been hilarious to see me and my girlfriend setting off on holiday to Een,
not far from where I lived, in that overpacked little car. In fact, I actually wondered about buying another Cuore this year. They still
have a certain charm.”
Robin Draaijer
René Vlietstra
Work Instruction
Assistant - RDW
Zoetermeer
“My first car is a very
ordinary yellow 2005
Toyota Yaris. Nothing
unusual, except that
I only bought it when I was 47. I thought I’d
managed to disguise the fact that this was my first
car from the dealer, but he must have guessed by
the careful way I drove off in it. What he didn’t
know, however, was that this was the first time I’d
even been behind the wheel of a car on my own.
So it really is a first.”
Policy Officer - RDW Zoetermeer
“If you love cars, you obviously want something special. So my first car
was a 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500. I bought it in 1978 from a car dealer.
It was a great little car, but there was always something wrong with it.
For example, returning home from Spain one time, I was overtaken by
my own back wheel. It had completely broken off and landed on the other
side of the motorway. Fortunately there wasn’t as much traffic back then
as there is now and nobody was hit. That doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Wendy Pauselius
Control Officer Administration
and Register Management (A&R)
- RDW Zoetermeer
“For my 19th birthday, my
parents gave me a silver 1983
Opel Kadett. The car was already
thirteen years old and showing
signs of age. It had run on gas
before, but now only drove on
petrol. The suction system only
took in rust, which caused me to
bounce along the road as though
I was on a rocking horse. I always
had to stop the car and wait until
the sediment had settled before I
could drive on.”
Patrick van
der Hoeven
Digital Media
Advisor - RDW
Zoetermeer
“In 1994, I impulsively
bought a 1987
Renault GT Turbo, my
philosophy being: you’re only young once.
I naturally never expected that I would one day
beat Prince Bernhard jr. with it during a rally.
Perhaps I should put this story into perspective,
though. Prince Bernhard was
actually my only serious rival and
he’d burnt out the engine of his
new 16 valve Renault Clio during
the warm up round. So I won the
race hands down.”
Frank Niemeijer
Consultant - RDW Veendam
“In 1999, I was looking for a
Japanese car, because I wanted
a good car at a fair price. I bought a
Mazda F323. The major downside
of this car was that I couldn’t get rid
of it: it just kept on going. Until one
day, the radiator broke while I was
in a traffic jam. When everyone else
started to move, there I was, stuck in
the middle of the motorway. Several
drivers nearly bumped into me,
including my colleague Giuseppe.
Terribly dangerous.”
Hans Heijn
Project Manager - RDW Veendam
“Forty years ago, I bought my first car, a
turquoise 1966 Citroën Dyane. The car was
supposed to be in perfect condition, but I began
to have my doubts as I was driving home from
the garage. I’d hardly gone five kilometres, but
the car was really starting to smoke and smell.
Furious, I called the garage. Apparently I’d left
the handbrake on.”
Elza van Dijk
Customer Service Assistant RDW Veendam
“My Belgian boyfriend moved
to the Netherlands specially for
me and brought his car with him:
a red 2005 Citroën C3.
It might not be the most special or
attractive-looking car, but to me
it’s a wonderful car that came to
me for a wonderful reason. Love
is …”
Giuseppe Salvaggio
Production Consultant Account Management - RDW Veendam
“I really learned to drive in my first car, an eleven year old Golf
2. Within a couple of weeks, this poor old car already had
a series of dents and a flat tyre. One day, having left work
early to celebrate St Nicholas, things went wrong. I’d wrongly
estimated how many kilometres you could drive on one tank,
and I ended up on the hard shoulder of the motorway with an
empty tank. So I was home late anyway. The ANWB helped me out with a jerry can of
petrol. Otherwise it was a good car, which I later traded in for a Golf 3.”
CORE ACTIVITIES
ADMISSION
RDW is the national authority responsible for monitoring the safety and environmental aspects of
vehicles in the Netherlands. Both before and after vehicles are admitted onto the public roads,
RDW determines whether the laws and regulations have been complied with.
Category certification (TGK)
Following the assessment, in some cases a test, and approval, the manufacturer receives an international certificate or a Dutch category certificate on
the basis of which it can launch products on the market without any need for further certification. This certification also forms the basis for admission
onto the road network and thereby for registration and number plating in the Netherlands. As the Dutch certification authority, RDW performs these
category inspections for manufacturers and importers from all over the world. Increasingly, RDW performs this statutory duty in competition with other
European inspection and certification authorities.
Category certifications
International category certifications
Dutch category certifications
Conformity of production (COP)
Test reports
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
20,963
20,247
18,406
3.5%
7,275
10,422
8,678
-30%
339
343
267
-1%
5,637
4,957
3,505
14%
2008 was a good year in terms of category certifications, with turnover increasing for the third
consecutive year. Turnover at the Lelystad test centre was considerably higher than in 2007 (+18%),
which was primarily due to an increase in the number of tests. The volume of work in all categories
increased, with Asia in particularly showing growth in the supply of work. In addition, as a result
of increasingly stringent environmental requirements, there has been an increase in the number of
testing and international certification activities. As expected, the number of national certifications
declined; this is the result of the new Framework Directive, which will take effect in May 2009,
substituting the national certificates for EU certificates.
Individual inspection and admission
RDW also admits motor vehicles on an individual basis. This involves imported vehicles, vehicles
repaired after heavy damages and requiring inspection, and adapted vehicles (for example, a change
in the fuel used). Special-purpose vehicles, such as buses, taxis, vehicles for the transport of hazardous
substances and the refrigerated transport of foodstuffs, are submitted to special-purpose inspections
by RDW in addition to the regular admission inspections. RDW is also responsible for regularly
inspecting special-purpose vehicles such as buses and vehicles for the transport of hazardous
substances.
Individual inspections
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
Number plate investigations
187,759
196,022
160,679
-4%
Customisation inspections
Regular inspections
4,678
4,469
4,246
5%
26,329
24,786
24,013
6%
A large number of vehicles were offered for inspection in 2008, which means that all testing
centres had to make every effort to provide clients with the highest-quality service. RDW appears
to have achieved this, as a client satisfaction survey shows that clients gave the process of individual
inspection and admission a rating of 7.5.
The partnership with the Inspectorate for Transport, Public Works and Water Management
(IVW) and the Police gained momentum in 2008; in addition to administrative cooperation, the
partners performed joint inspections on the motorway. A total of 42 inspections were performed
together with the Police and 7 inspections with IVW. Knowledge of vehicle identification also
increased in 2008, as the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) transferred the task of performing
forensic research on vehicles to RDW. RDW examined a total of 1,991 vehicles in 2008. In 447 cases,
the organisation performed a vehicle inspection, which resulted in an official report.
Exceptional Transport Permits
Exceptional Transport Permits
Exemptions
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
200,899
147,285
105,421
36%
Transport that exceeds the legally permitted measurements and/or weights is only permitted
to use public roads if an exemption has been granted. RDW has been granting exemptions for all
of the Netherlands since the implementation of the national exemption licensing act (Centrale
Ontheffing Verlening - COV) in 2006, and works closely with road managers in this process,
The number of exemptions granted has increased significantly since 2006, while there has
been a strong decline in the number of tax evaders as well. As in previous years, in 2008 RDW
worked together with all parties involved to further optimise the processes. One of the results
they achieved was that transporters now have the opportunity to apply for exemptions online.
At the end of 2008, 62% of all exemption applications were made through the web module. This
module is set to be improved and expanded in the near future, allowing transport companies to
access even more information on the status of exemptions
applied for and granted. In addition, these optimisations
helped ensure an interim downgrade of the rates in 2008.
facts & figures
While the number of applications increased, the number
of employees grew only slightly, which put pressure on
lead times in busy periods. During these periods, RDW liaised closely with the industry in order to establish mutual
expectations. Lead times were well under control by the
end of 2008, one reason for this was the increasing number
of applications submitted through the web module.
Long and heavy vehicles
In 2008, a total of 885,216 vehicles
received number plates, the most
popular brands being Volkswagen,
Honda, Piaggio, Volkswagen and DAF
in the categories passengers cars,
motorcycles, mopeds and light and
heavy commercial vehicles, respectively.
885,216
In November, it was decided to reduce the permitted maximum mass of combinations of long and heavy vehicles to
50 tonnes. In response to a study conducted on behalf of
several trade associations, the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and the Environment commissioned the Netherlands Institute for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to
reassess this decision. Based on TNO’s recommendation, it was decided in May 2008 to again
permit a maximum mass of up to 60 tonnes for long and heavy vehicles. By the end of 2008, 194
combinations from 109 companies were using the Dutch roads, and a total of 291 core areas were
released for the 60-tonne combinations. In mid-2008, RDW organised a symposium in order to
coordinate measures related to long and heavy vehicles at the national and international levels.
SUPERVISION AND control
Authorised agents
RDW issues a range of licences authorising companies in the vehicle industry. In addition to authorised
agents for performing APK inspections, fitting fuel conversions (LPG), speed limiters and tachographs
(TAs), RDW also licenses commercial fleets, commercial number plates (green numbers in the
Netherlands) and the production of number plates. The most striking trend is the increase in the number
of competencies for Vehicle Ascription.
Authorised agents
APK, LPG, speed limiter, TA and combinations
Commercial fleets/commercial number plates and number plate manufacturers
Competencies for authorisation of commercial fleets,
commercial number plates, etc.
Commercial fleet/commercial number plates
Disassembly
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
9,623
9,491
9,396
1%
21,416
20,909
20,381
2%
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
21,063
20,558
20,011
2%
572
582
585
-2%
Export
2,152
1,978
1,824
9%
Ascription for motor company
3,706
3,163
2,671
17%
Number plates
358
351
346
2%
Fast-track procedures
334
308
266
8%
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
6,024
6,322
5,818
-5%
24,323
24,456
24,602
-1%
Monitoring authorised agents
By means of onsite visits, RDW verifies whether authorised agents continue to meet the relevant
requirements. Should that not be the case, then RDW can impose a sanction. A licence may be
temporarily suspended or permanently revoked. RDW visits recognised agents once every two years,
annually or biannually.
Inspection visits
APK, LPG, speed limiter/TA
Commercial fleet, commercial number plates, and related competencies
In 2008, onsite inspectors visited 6,024 agencies authorised to perform APK inspections, fit LPG
conversions, speed limiters and TAs, including both regular inspection visits and visits following
new applications. The number of visits to manufacturers of number plates was 47% higher in 2008
than the previous year; this is due to the additional visits to these manufacturers in connection with
the implementation of GAIK Online.
During the year, RDW imposed 712 sanctions on authorised agents for APK, LPG, speed limiters
and tachographs, while 681 inspectors were also given a sanction. Of the authorised agents, 396
received a warning, 47 a technical suspension, 90 a conditional suspension and 148 a temporary
suspension. Eventually, the licences of 31 agents were permanently revoked.
CORE activities
Sanctions against authorised agents for commercial fleets, commercial number plates, disassembly, export, number plates, ascription
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
Warning with stricter supervision
1,549
1,626
2,228
-5%
Suspension
1,262
1,365
1,261
-8%
45
35
40
29%
Temporary suspension
263
257
323
2%
Final suspension
410
424
470
-3%
3,529
3,707
4,322
-5%
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
Conditional suspension
Total
The number of sanctions decreased slightly in 2008. In connection with the implementation of
GAIK online, a larger number of visits were of an informal nature; these visits cannot result in a
sanction.
Monitoring of licensed work
The quality of the APK inspections and the installation of LPG systems, speed limiters and tachographs
are inspected through random checks. 2008 was the first year of the new APK frequency for fuel vehicles.
The new rules apply to vehicles that run on petrol and were admitted in or after 2005. This category of
vehicles is inspected for the first time after four years and after that once every two years. When the vehicle
is eight years old, the frequency changes to annual. The statutory APK rate of 3% for random checks was
exceeded in 2008.
The pilot APK project conducted in Belgium was assessed, and effective 1 January 2009 it was expanded
with four Flemish car inspectors near the Dutch border. A challenge for 2010 will be to launch the APK
system in Spain. In 2008, approximately 500 APK inspections were performed in Belgium in accordance
with the Dutch regulations.
Test reports
2008
APK 1
276,255
266,459
254,564
4%
APK 2
6,801,630
6,974,179
6,809,993
-2%
LPG
23,222
17,067
19,536
36%
Speed limiter/TA
89,301
84,623
82,906
6%
Random tests
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
APK 1
8,509
5,079
6,621
68%
APK 2
213,744
206,455
209,469
3%
LPG
1,102
784
918
41%
Speed limiter/TA
3,021
2,530
3,688
19%
Random test rate
NORM
2008
2007
2006
APK 1
3%
3.1%
1.9%
2.6%
APK 2
3%
3.1%
3.0%
3.1%
LPG
5%
4.7%
4.6%
4.7%
Speed limiter/TA
5%
3.4%
3.0%
4.5%
CORE ACTIVITIES
REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION PROVISION
RDW registers the data of more than 11 million road vehicles and their owners.
This 11 million does not include suspended or stolen vehicles or commercial fleet vehicles,
nor does it include vehicles with expired or invalid number plates or number plates without
ascription. In addition, the databases also contain information on vessels, insurance, driver
registration and moped registration, as well as personal data. The databases serve as
important information sources for government agencies and private organisations.
Information supplied from databases
RDW provides information to the Police, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and
Kingdom Relations using two different methods. The first method is a fixed set of data for purposes such
as the detection of stolen vehicles. This daily delivery prevents investigation departments from working
on investigations that have already been completed. The second method is for the Police, the Ministry
of Justice or the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Affairs to request details on individual vehicles
as part of traffic surveillance, among other purposes. More than half of the information requested by the
Police, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Affairs relates to repeat information on
facts & figures
suspect vehicles. This information is requested as part of
the ANPR checks performed by the police, with ANPR being an acronym for automatic number plate recognition.
Approximately 10 million requests relate to the driving
licence database. A substantial portion of the information
requested consists of simple requests, such as verification
of APK certification. The numbers are counted based on
the recipient of the messages. Options for the Police and
the Justice department to request the information are improved continuously; one of the factors that contributed
to the 6% decrease was that fewer special information
requests were made in 2008 than in the previous year.
Camping holidays remain extremely popular
among Dutch people, with a growing number
of people choosing this mode of travel.
A total of 5,394 new campers were purchased
in 2008, representing an increase of nearly
10 per cent. FIAT and Volkswagen are the
two most popular brands, comprising one
in three and one in six of the new campers,
respectively.
5,394
2008
2007
Police, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
210,200
222,900
- 6%
Vehicle industry
222,100
195,700
13%
Electronic or non-electronic information provision to client category
(x 1,000)
Difference
2008-2007
Ministry of Finance (tax authorities and Customs)
23,000
20,500
12%
Members of the public
34,200
28,500
20%
9,200
8,100
14%
Insurers
2,600
3,200
-19%
Municipalities (in connection with the development of NRD)
BKR (Credit Registration Office) clients
16,100
15,500
4%
Other (including CBS, CBR, IVW, BKWI and Post Offices)
64,100
39,400
63%
581,500
533,800
9%
Total
Online information provision
146,800
126,500
16%
Batch information provision
434,700
407,300
7%
99.7%
99.5%
0%
Availability rates for requests and changes concerning ‘core registers’ (norm: 97.5%)
RDW provided information to the entire vehicle industry, both through providers and directly. This
is due to the fact that RDW has more information available (for example, environmental data) as well
as to an increased need for information. The total increase is 13%.
Compared to 2007, 12% more information was provided to the Ministry of Finance, and the data
provided to the tax authorities, in particular, has increased.
Information provided to members of the public increased by 20%, which can be attributed to the expansion of the vehicle data that can be requested through RDW’s website, www.rdw.nl. Users can easily
view environmental data on the website, as well as being able to check whether a particular vehicle is registered with RDW. This expansion is in line with the development of the ‘e-Overheid’ (‘e-Government’)
project, with which RDW provides insight into the Basic Vehicle Database.
Information provision to insurance companies increased by 14%. To verify their own information,
insurers often request extracts from the insurance register, and the number and size of these extractions
increased compared to 2007, partly as a result of an irregular increase of information through WAM
extractions. The number of registrations and cancellations in the insurance register remained approximately level compared to 2007.
In 2008, the validity of driving licences for clients (primarily banks) of the Credit Registration Office
(BKR) was verified 2.6 million times, which, compared to 2007, represents a substantial decline of 19%.
It still needs to be examined whether this should be attributed to the credit crisis.
The municipal departments of Population Affairs, Parking Services and Parking Taxes request
a large amount of information online. The Population Affairs department requires data necessary to
process applications for driving licences, the number of which has increased significantly following the
introduction of the new, smaller driving licence.
RDW provides an increasing amount of information on the environment, which means that the
increase in information provision to other users also continued in 2008. The sharp increase is primarily
the result of occasional/irregular deliveries and the subscription of the Insurance Bureau for Vehicle
Crime.
Other information provision
Other information provision
Telephone
Email
Correspondence
Downloads of brochures and forms
Visits to www.rdw.nl
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
926,029
954,657
958,298
-3%
83,175
82,584
67,151
1%
22,557
44,088
21,198
-49%
599,941
833,727
827,312
-28%
11,222,060
11,003,907
6,947,045
2%
The amount of information provided by telephone declined slightly in 2008 compared to 2007 (-3%),
as clients are increasingly using the electronic options provided by RDW to find information. We do note,
however, that the nature of the questions is changing, as a result of which the average duration of telephone
calls is longer.
The number of incoming letters is back to the level of 2006. In 2007, the number of letters doubled due
to an increase in information requests by court bailiffs and other groups, as a result of legislative changes.
In 2007, RDW implemented an application that makes it possible to respond to information requests
electronically and therefore more efficiently. This largely eliminated written information requests.
In 2008, fewer brochures and forms were downloaded from RDW’s website (-28%). One of the reasons
for this is the integration of forms, which means that clients, for some applications, only need to complete
a single form. In addition, the process of providing a large number of mopeds and motorised bicycles with
number plates was completed in 2007, and many clients requested brochures on this subject at the time.
CORE ACTIVITIES
DOCUMENT ISSUANCE
Documents issued
2008
2007
2006
Difference
2008-2007
Registration certificate part IA (vehicle certificate)
1,088,000
1,077,000
982,000
1%
Registration certificate part IB (ascription certificate)
3,341,000
3,432,000
3,195,000
0%
Driving licences
1,876,041
1,902,000
1,150,000
-1%
66
283
74,000
-77%
Moped certificates
Vehicle registration certificate part IA
The number of newly issued vehicle registration certificates increased slightly in 2008 compared
to 2007, particularly the number of certificates issued under the fast-track procedures. Fast-track
number plates for passenger cars dropped by 2% in 2008, caused primarily by a decline during the
last quarter of 2008. The issuance of number plates for company cars and mopeds, on the other hand,
increased by 7% and 24%, respectively. The number of number plates issued to individuals dropped
by 4% in 2008 as a result of the lower number of inspections of imported vehicles. More than 5% more
replacement vehicle registration certificates were issued; this increase applies to all vehicle categories,
particularly mopeds (+13%).
It should be noted, however, that significantly fewer special vehicle registration certificates were
issued in 2008 (61%); this is due to the fact that it was no longer possible to apply for 7-day vehicle
registration certificates in 2008, whereas this was still possible during the first half of 2007. Demand
for the successor of the 7-day vehicle registration certificate, the transit vehicle registration certificate, has been considerably lower.
Vehicle registration certificate part IB
The total number of ascription certificates issued in 2008 was at the same level as 2007, although
proportionally a larger number of ascriptions are issued through accredited companies and fewer
are issued by the post offices.
Driving licences
The municipalities are responsible for the regular issuance of driving licences, which in the Netherlands are valid for 10 years. 2006 saw the start of a period in which a large number of licences were
issued; this period will continue until 2012. During these years, around 1.8 million licences are issued
each year, whereas in the ‘lean’ years this number averaged around EUR 1.2 million.
facts & figures
Almost 2.6 million passenger cars changed hands in
the past year, with the total number of changes totalling
4.9 million. This means that on average, these 2.6 million
passenger cars changed hands 1.8 times. This included both
transfers between private individuals and transfers from
private individuals to dealers/commercial fleets managed
by dealers. The majority of ascriptions took place at the
post office, followed by accredited companies. A small
number of people go to the RDW desk.
2,600,000
COLUMN
OBJECTIONS AND APPEALS
RDW makes a variety of decisions to which
individuals and companies can object pursuant
to the General Administrative Law Act (Awb).
In addition, RDW, in its capacity as regulator,
imposes sanctions on authorised agents and
inspectors; as before, they have the option to
file objections and appeals.
Objections
Objections
Objections submitted
2008
2007
2006
991
1,753
2,036
The number of objections filed declined sharply compared to previous years; this is accounted for by the fact that no further objections were
received to the refusal to issue vehicle registration certificates for mopeds
and motorised bicycles. The number of objections filed is currently back to
2005 levels, while objections related to personnel issues, APK certification,
authorisation for APK inspection, commercial fleets and driving licences
all decreased as well.
Objections to expiry of ascriptions increased slightly.
Settlement of objections and appeals
Settled objections and
appeal cases and
temporary provisions
2008
Founded/partially founded
216
649
358
Unfounded/inadmissible
820
1,407
1,155
1,036
2,056
1,513
Total
Suspended or otherwise settled
Total
2007
2006
135
286
191
1,171
2,342
1,704
In 2008, RDW settled 977 objections, 124 appeals and 70 temporary
provisions (a total of 1,171) in accordance with the Awb procedure. This
represents a decrease of 1,171 (50%) compared to 2007. The sharp decline
compared to previous years is due to the fact that barely any objections
were filed related to mopeds and motorised bicycles. The total number of
temporary provisions and appeals settled is virtually equal to 2007.
Forget it
The roar as the engine starts. The vibration as you accelerate.
And, yes I confess, the almost erotic sensation as you grasp the
gearstick and smoothly change gear, bringing up the clutch at
exactly the right moment. The steady throb of an engine kept in
check. An engine that takes you by the scruff of the neck, challenges you and pushes your boundaries. But also an engine
that, once revved up, puts your mind at ease. Almost purring
like a contented cat.
Forget it. Because you won’t be driving that kind of car for much
longer. The climate crisis, the energy crisis and the credit crisis
– everything calls for a new form of driving. Electric is the way
forward. I’ve experienced it in the electric Lotus Elise, among
others. It’s as if Mother Nature had created it herself, that’s how
organic it feels.
On the day that I wrote this piece, science came up with the next
step: a new battery technology, which allows you to recharge
an electric car in a few minutes. It now still takes about eight
hours. (Let’s ignore the fuss about environmentally harmful batteries for a minute. This is just a start; something will be come up.
And no discussions about the dirty
coal power you use for recharging.
Because this dirty power problem
needs to be (and will be) solved.
There’s always green power.)
But, in particular, forget car driving as we now know it. Put it in an
album, together with the carrier
pigeon, the gramophone and the
woollen liberty bodice. They were
useful once, but they’ve now been
replaced by something better.
Something that flows rather than
boils. Which hums rather than
roars. Which glides rather than drives. A real car, with a decent
range on one battery. A car that does what you want when you
put your foot on the power pedal. Without compromising on
power or capacity. It is possible. The electric Elise proves it.
What’s more, this Elise is a Dutch initiative. If Obama is smart,
he should get himself to Lochem fast. Here he will find something
to beat all crises: a fuel-free, CO2 neutral car and an opportunity
to breathe new life into the fading car industry. And let’s stop
messing around with interim hybrid solutions. No, let’s think big
from the start. Yes we can!
The climate crisis,
the energy crisis
and the credit crisis
– everything calls
for a new kind of
driving
Meike Huber (1972) is a freelance journalist
and editor of Bright magazine.
CORE ACTIVITIES
COMPLAINTS AND OMBUDSMAN AFFAIRS
Complaints
In 2008, RDW received a total of 1,327 complaints. This is a slight increase of the figures for 2007,
when a total of 1,310 complaints were received. However, this rise can entirely be attributed to the
fact that since 2008, complaints to TET, the department that issues permits for exceptional transport,
have been published and included in the RDW-wide complaints registration. In 2008, TET received
445 complaints. Most of these complaints related to the product quality of the issued permits, such
as an error in the indicated route. However, considering the total number of permits issued every
year (over 200,000), the number of complaints is very limited (0.2%). In mid 2008, a new web module
was introduced, which allows the transporter to enter the details himself. This is expected to result
in a reduction in the number of complaints in 2009. Leaving aside the complaints to the TET department, the number of complaints fell from 1,310 in 2007 to 882 in 2008. This significant drop can be
explained by the completion of the ‘moped registration’ project, which generated many complaints
in 2007. The number of complaints is now stable at the level it was in 2006 (885).
The following table shows that in 2008, on average 89% of the complaints were handled within the
RDW norm of four weeks and an average of 97% within the statutory period of 6 weeks. Compared
with 2007, this is a huge improvement. RDW is committed to handling complaints in a correct and
timely fashion and to rectifying errors as soon as possible. On average, a complaint was declared
founded in 72% of the cases.
Complaints
Number of complaints
2008
2007
2006
1,327*
1,310
885
Founded complaints in %
72%
69%
65%
Average lead time: completion < 4 weeks (RDW norm)
89%
74%
81%
Average lead time: completion < 6 weeks (General Administrative Law Act norm)
97%
89%
93%
2008
2007
2006
41
39
32
*Since 2008 including complaints from the Exceptional Transport Permit department (445 in 2008)
National ombudsman
In accordance with the National Ombudsman Act, a citizen can submit a complaint about RDW.
In principle, the national ombudsman only launches an investigation once the internal complaints
procedure at RDW has been completed.
Ombudsman affairs
Number of ombudsman affairs
Of the 41 complaints received in 2008, 23 cases were processed by the complaints coordinators
through the internal complaints procedure. The national ombudsman launched an investigation in
18 cases. Of these, the national ombudsman declared three cases to be founded and three complaints
to be unfounded. Investigations into six complaints were terminated by the national ombudsman
during the proceedings. In six cases, the investigation is still ongoing.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Human Resources: the staff
Staff establishment
The average complement in 2008 was 1,447 FTEs. The distribution over the various organisation
units was as follows:
Average complement
(in people and FTEs)
2008
In people
2008
In FTEs
2007
In people
2007
In FTEs
Vehicle Technology Division
788.8
721.1
758.2
691.3
Registration & Information Division
352.9
315.6
335.9
299.2
ICT
234.7
229.2
216.7
210.7
Other
200.1
180.9
202.4
183.0
1,576.5
1,446.8
1,513.2
1,384.2
Total RDW
Age distribution
In 2008, the average age of RDW employees was 45.4. This is a slight increase relative to last year
(45.3). The Vehicle Regulations Development department has the highest average age (52.7) and the
longest average number of service years (22.5). The Strategy and External Developments department
is the ‘youngest’ department with an average age of 38.9. This is also the department with the lowest
average number of service years (8.8 years). The average period of employment at RDW is 14.3 years.
In 2008, 31% of the employees were women. This is almost the same as the percentage of female staff
in preceding years.
Inflow and outflow
In 2008, 150 new employees were appointed (2007: 93) and 77 employees left RDW (2007: 67).
Absence due to illness
In 2008, illness absenteeism totalled 4%, a satisfactory development compared with 2007 (4.5%). The
frequency with which staff reported ill also fell. On average, an employee reports ill 1.6 times a year.
In 2007, this was 1.7 times. The average length that an employee was absent was 10.85 calendar days,
a slight increase of 0.35 day.
Education costs
In 2008, an average of 1,159 euros per employee was invested in education and training. This excludes
training on the job, re-orientation and the management programme Tools. This figure corresponds
to 2.2% of the wage bill.
Education costs
(eur)
Total education costs (excl. Tools)
Number of employees
Average per employee (in euros)
Education costs in % of the wage bill
facts & figures
300,000 vehicles were
exported from the Netherlands
in 2008. Of these, almost
200,000 were passenger
vehicles and 68,500 were
commercial vehicles. Two
thirds of the exported vehicles
were between six and fifteen
years old.
300,000
2008
2007
1,825,810
1,933,000
1,576.5
1,498
1,159
1,348
2.2%
2.6%
Text: Guus Peters
Green DRIVING
CAR INDUSTRY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF CLEAN AND ECONOMICAL
HOW
CLEAN
is
CLEAN?
The term ‘clean car’ dominates the news. In 2008
the environmental friendliness of cars featured high on the
agenda. But how clean is a clean car?
Three experts give their opinions.
T
There are plenty of clean cars. In fact, every modern car is ‘clean’ (see
p. 53), otherwise the vehicle would not stand a chance on the Dutch
or European car market. However, one car is obviously cleaner than
another, so what are the criteria? For the RDW annual report, we asked
experts in various fields for their opinion on ‘the clean car’. Freelance
car journalist Wim Oude Weernink (who writes for Automotive News,
Autovisie and NRC Handelsblad, among others), André Rijnders
from RDW’s Vehicle Regulations Development department and Ruud
Verbeek from TNO’s Mobility department.
Prius
Ask anyone on the street about clean cars and you will tend to hear the
same names. Almost everyone knows the Toyota Prius and the Honda
Civic Hybrid. Cars with an A label, like the Smart Fortwo 0.8 cdi and
the technically identical trio Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo/Citroën C1
are also regularly mentioned, while those who know a bit more about
cars talk about Volkswagen’s BlueMotion concept. This is mainly
because of the Polo BlueMotion, which is extremely fuel-efficient. In
the past, Volkswagen also presented the Lupo 3L, with an average fuel
consumption of 3 litres per 100 kilometres.
Euro 6
According to car journalist Wim Oude Weernink, it is difficult to
point out one really clean car. “It depends on what you’re looking at. If
you’re talking about low CO2 emissions, then cars like the Toyota Prius,
Honda Civic Hybrid – and certainly the later versions of those cars – the
new Prius and the Insight, are the most obvious candidates. However,
the recently unveiled Mercedes-Benz E class comes in an extremely
clean version, which already complies with the Euro 6 norm that will be
imposed in 2014. That’s very exceptional for such a big car”, says Oude
Weernink.
In contrast to these CO2-friendly cars (which contribute less to
global warming), we have very fuel-efficient cars, often diesels. “The
Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion, for example”, says Oude Weernink.
“Volkswagen has proved here that diesel engines can be made extremely
fuel efficient. Where petrol engines are concerned, Volkswagen is less
revolutionary, but the BlueMotion concept for diesel engines does offer
potential. The same applies to the Smart Fortwo with a diesel engine.
This only emits 88 grams of CO2, making it the most fuel-efficient
diesel on the market. But if you want fuel-efficient as well as clean,
then you need the Toyota Prius or the new Honda Insight,
which, like the Prius, is a hybrid (i.e. a car with a petrol
engine and an electric engine). The technically
identical Citroën C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota
Aygo come in as a good third option.
These are small and compact, fuelefficient and clean.”
Diesel disadvantages
Oude Weernink hastens to
add that although diesels are
CO2 friendly, they do have
other disadvantages. Emissions
Clean or fuel-efficient?
With respect to cars and the environment, terms like
natural gas. Cars like the Fiat 500 1.2
of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and soot
clean and fuel-efficient are often confused. Yet they
automatic, the Panda and the BMW
particles still pose quite a problem
are two very different things. Taking all things into
3 Series with EfficientDynamics are
in modern diesels, acknowledges
consideration, every modern car is ‘clean’ with regard
very fuel-efficient too.”
André Rijnders from RDW’s
to the composition of its exhaust gases. Even the biggest
Vehicle Regulations Development
eight cylinder SUVs have catalysts and (if it is a diesel)
department as well. “To regulate
1 in 24
a soot filter, which labels them ‘clean’.
emissions of NOx, hydrocarbons
In TNO’s Mobility and Environment
However, ‘fuel-efficient’ is a very different matter.
and carbon monoxide and soot
department, cars with a combustion
A car that is not fuel-efficient uses a lot of fuel and so
particles, the Euro classes have been
engine are expected to remain
emits a lot of CO2, which in turn contributes to global
introduced: Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4.
dominant for some time where
warming. This is why CO2 emissions (always given as
At the moment, emissions are subject
power is concerned. “However,
grams per kilometre) are so important in fuel labelling.
to the Euro 4 norm. However, some
we do think that they will become
A car with an A label that emits less than 110 grams of
cars already comply with the Euro 5
twice as efficient over the next thirty
CO2 per kilometre is exempt from private motor vehicle
norm, but it all depends on what you
years. So a car that now drives 1
and motorcycle tax since 1 January, saves 50 per cent
mean by ‘clean’. If you consider CO2
on 12, will drive 1 on 24 in 2040 on
on road tax and (if it is a company car) only adds
average”, says Ruud Verbeek, vehicle
emissions, they are clean anyway.
14 per cent to one’s income.
technology specialist at TNO. “This
CO2 can be emitted from the exhaust
will be achieved by improvements to
– we humans breathe it out too. The
nearly all parts of the car: the drive
less CO2 a car emits, the more fuelline, air resistance, rolling resistance
efficient it is. However, you can’t
apply the same argument to NOx or soot particles, for example. Within and mass. In addition, computers installed in vehicles will help drivers
certain classes of cars there are ceilings for such emissions, for both petrol with their fuel-efficient driving style. We also expect a transition to
and diesel engines. In this respect, not a single diesel is clean”, explains smaller engines that provide the same power. In other words: less
power is required because the vehicle and the drive line have become
Rijnders.
more efficient. This will benefit the environment, because with a limited
cylinder capacity, you limit frictional loss and the engine performs
Petrol versus diesel
Rijnders finds it difficult to list a top ten of ‘clean’ cars. “You should better while consumption falls”, according to Verbeek.
really wait a year. Some new models are not on the market yet. The new
Polo BlueMotion, for example, will only be available from 2010 and by Proof
then I would expect to see a surge in clean cars”, says Rijnders. Whatever He also expects to see an interesting rivalry between electrically
happens, he feels that petrol engines still have the advantage where clean driven vehicles and hydrogen-driven cars. “If electric cars really break
is concerned. “Even a five year old petrol engine is cleaner than the latest through in the coming decade, it will be difficult for hydrogen cars.
diesel. That’s mainly because of the soot particles. In general, diesels are This is mainly down to the infrastructure, for which the government
more fuel-efficient, so where CO2 emissions are concerned, they have is responsible. Infrastructural costs are much higher for hydrogen,
the advantage. But where air quality in urban areas is concerned, diesels while the electricity mains are there already”, says Verbeek. The
TNO man is cautiously optimistic about electric cars, but has some
are a threat”, claims Rijnders.
reservations. “If it becomes possible to generate electricity sustainably,
through windmills for example, then that electricity can be used
Natural gas
In that sense, Rijnders feels that the petrol version of the Smart Fortwo to recharge cars at night. The electric car will have to prove itself,
is a cleaner alternative than the Smart diesel, for example. “The diesel particularly with respect to sustainable and affordable batteries.”
may be fuel-efficient, but it’s still dirty. It emits 208 milligrams of NOx Verbeek expects a great deal from the phenomenon ‘range extender’.
(nitrogen oxide). In contrast, the petrol version only emits 11 grams This will be applied to electric cars whose kilometre capacity sometimes
of NOx. And with 103 grams of CO2, the petrol version is also fuel- falls short. In such cases, they have a small combustion engine.
efficient”, according to Rijnders, who also likes the Toyota Prius
(‘definitely a clean car’), the new Honda Insight (‘absolutely clean’) and All in all, it is clear that, also under the influence of environmental and
the Volkswagen Touran on natural gas. “It’s not as fuel-efficient, but it credit discussions, a lot is happening in the car world. But whichever
is clean. The same applies to the Mercedes B class and the Citroën C3 on direction it goes, the car looks forward to a clean future.
Green mobility
Where green mobility is concerned, the Netherlands is one of the leaders in Europe. Keeping in mind that half of all new cars sold in Europe now
emit 130 grams or less CO2 per kilometre, half of the new cars sold in the Netherlands in 2008 had an environmentally friendly A or B label.
Ninety-seven per cent of all new diesel passenger vehicles sold in the Netherlands had a soot filter.
Q
Q&A
The continuing climate crisis and the role of the car in it continued to be the subject
of discussion in 2008. But how much do you actually know about CO2 emissions,
hybrids, fuel-efficient cars, fuel consumption and energy labels? Can you answer
the following five questions without hesitation?
1
Q: Rob leases a car with a
diesel engine that emits a
maximum of 95 grams of
CO2 per kilometre.
His colleague Cees
has a company car that
runs on petrol and emits
110 grams of CO2 per
kilometre emission. Are both
colleagues subject to 20%
tax liability?
2
A
B
C
D
E
F
A:
No, the cars leased by Rob and Cees fall in the 14% tax
liability class. The real car buff will now know exactly what car Rob
leases: a Smart CDI. With CO2 emissions of 88 g/km, this is the
only diesel that currently falls in the lowest tax liability class.
Incidentally, if Cees is not driving the hybrid Toyota Prius, he must
be leasing a small car, because CO2 emissions of 110 g/km mean
that his car is only using 4.7l/100 km (1:21). And not many petrol
cars do that, certainly not the bigger ones.
The 20% tax liability category, which was introduced as an ‘interim
solution’ on 1 January 2009 covers cars that use more fuel than the
most fuel-efficient small cars, but that are not so high-polluting that
the owner has to pay the full amount. In this class, CO2 emissions
between 96 and 116 grams apply to diesels and between 111
and 140 grams to petrol cars. This class may be more interesting for
Rob and Cees because of the lower tax liability compared with the
usual 25% and the fact that they are not confined to a tiny car.
Q: Henk is planning to buy a new car with energy label C. He asks the
dealer how this label is awarded and what it means. Salesman Oscar
answers: “In the Netherlands, the energy label reflects the CO2 emissions
emitted per kilometre and the car’s dimensions. The emissions on the label
are also the maximum emissions of the engine.” Is Oscar right?
A: No. First of all, it is a misconception that the label shows the actual CO
emissions of a car. That number is
2
based on the average consumption given by the manufacturer. If you totally combust a litre of petrol, 2370 grams
of CO2 are released (with diesel this is slightly more: 2650 grams). For example, suppose a petrol car uses an
average of 5.0 litres per 100 km, that’s 0.05 litres per kilometre. The CO2 emissions are then rounded off to
119 g/km (2370 X 0.05 l). However, if you drive in the city, consumption soars to 10.0 l/100 km, and the
emissions are twice as high as well!
Secondly, Oscar has forgotten something in how the energy label is determined. In the Netherlands, there is
a ‘relative class categorisation’, which not only takes into account the CO2 emissions (in grams per kilometre)
and the dimensions (length and breadth) of the car, but also the average emissions of the Dutch vehicle fleet.
The relative energy use is then calculated, which is reflected in the energy label. This ‘relative’ view ensures that
a large, but comparatively fuel-efficient BMW 520d is also given an A label, even though this monster uses
much more than the little Smart fortwo, which also carries an A label.
G
Text: Andrew Mason and Lucas Boot
3
Questions & Answers
Q: Jan is going on a company outing with fifty colleagues. They are planning to
leave their cars at home and travel by coach. However, colleague Karel feels it
would be better to carpool because a fuel-guzzling, dirty bus is much
more harmful to the environment than a couple of cars, isn’t it?
A
A:
Karel is missing the point: one car may be cleaner than a bus (due
to its lower fuel consumption and therefore less harmful emissions), but
if you put fifty people in, say, twelve cars, then the emissions of one bus
really is much lower. Moreover, the emission requirements for buses (and
trucks) are becoming increasingly strict, so a bus isn’t that dirty after all.
Q: Sjaak has a hybrid car, while his neighbour Jochem has the same model without a dual drive
system that also recycles and stores brake energy. Jochem is sceptical about the environmental advantages of hybrids and says that although Sjaak’s car is cleaner per kilometre driven, it uses more
fuel because a hybrid is heavier due to the heavy electric engine and extra batteries. Furthermore,
Jochem has read that the production process of a hybrid is much more harmful than that of a normal
car. Is Jochem right?
A: No. You can’t say that a car is cleaner per kilometre, yet uses more fuel. Emissions are directly linked to consumption (see
the answer to question 2) and a hybrid is usually much more fuel-efficient than a similar conventional model. The fuel savings
are mainly in the use of the electric engine when accelerating, which ensures that the combustion engine isn’t called on to do
so much work. You can also use the electric engine on its own and the combustion engine never unnecessarily ticks over – it
usually stalls immediately at traffic lights. And although it’s true that the extra hybrid technology is heavier, that (literally) does
not weigh up against the energy savings provided by the system.
Jochem’s second point is more disputed, particularly after the publication of a report in 2007 by an American research
company, which studied the complete life cycle of new cars (i.e. the energy it takes to manufacture), use and scrap a car.
The startling result was that a Toyota Prius (despite its greater fuel efficiency) was more polluting per kilometre than a large but
relatively simple SUV like the Hummer, due to the complexities of the manufacturing and the scrap processes.
Indeed, it does take more energy to make a hybrid because it needs more parts, but these are not much more complicated or
radically different from conventional cars, and thanks to the lower fuel consumption, the extra energy (and thus pollution) of
the manufacturing process can be offset quite quickly during use. Scrapping is not expected to cause problems and additional
pollution either. The batteries can be fully recycled and as more hybrids are scrapped, the recycling process will only become
more efficient.
Incidentally, the report has since been heavily criticised from many sides. In particular, the fact that the pollution of the whole
life cycle of a Hummer was spread over 600,000 kilometres while that of the Prius was only spread over 175,000 kilometres
was not only far-fetched but also unfair…
5
4
Q: Suzanne and Ronald are on holiday in their camper
van in the French Alps. Ronald claims that the camper van
emits more harmful substances high in the mountains than
at home in the polder. What do you think?
A: Ronald is right. Compared with the flatter polder roads, the engine has to work much harder in the mountains
to get the camper up the hills (the ‘relaxation’ on the downward journey does not compensate for this), so that fuel
consumption and thus emissions of harmful substances increases. But apart from the hills, consumption will be higher
anyway in the mountains due to the thin air, which contains less oxygen. At a thousand metres above sea level, for
example, the power of an atmospheric engine (i.e. without turbo) is decreased by 13 per cent due to the poorer
combustion. This means that, in order to achieve similar performance, you have to press harder on the accelerator,
which never benefits consumption.
However, engines with turbo don’t get breathless in thin air at great heights that easily because the turbo largely
compensates the difference in air pressure.
Segway
Text: Rick Akkermans
On the road with the Segway
Some years ago, these funny looking ‘self-balancing scooters’ were
rather an oddity. These days, no one looks twice when a Segway
passes by. The two-wheeler has now become an accepted mode of
transport on public roads and therefore needs to be licensed. So what
does that involve?
Just to refresh your memory: the Segway consists of a step flanked by
two wheels and topped with a steering frame. If you want to go forward,
you lean forward. If you want to reverse… well, you shift your weight
backwards. You steer by moving the handlebars. As befits a vehicle
in 2009, the Segway has pretty ‘green’ credentials. It is driven by two
re-chargeable electric engines – one in each wheel. These also ensure
that the Segway remains in balance. Although there are various versions,
twenty kilometres per hour is the maximum speed for a Segway on public
roads in the Netherlands.
Licensed
On 1 July 2008, the Segway was officially ‘accepted’ as a means of
transportation on the public road. And like other motorised vehicles, it
therefore needs a number plate (since 15 October 2008). In order to be
eligible, it has to be inspected by RDW. But what requirements does this
‘yuppie scooter’ need to fulfil?
Henk Wallensteijn, Project Manager at RDW, explains: “Many unusual
and innovative vehicles are being produced, including the Segway.
Before they are allowed on the road, they have to be approved by
EVERY SEGWAY
MUST HAVE A VEHICLE
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
(VIN), WITH WHICH
IT CAN BE REGISTERED
AT RDW
SWOV, the Institute for Road Safety
Research. The Segway passed that test.
Following approval by SWOV, RDW
imposes admission requirements on
the vehicle. One of these requirements
is that every Segway is given a Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN), with
which it can be registered with RDW.
Then things like the braking distance
are checked in detail.” All Segways also
need to have a working bell or horn.
Lighting, however, is not essential.
“As long as you use it during the day”,
says Wallensteijn. “If you use it on the road in the dark, the Segway must
have front and back lights.”
Unlike the APK for cars, the Segway is only inspected once. As a new
Segway owner, there are two options. “The cheapest option is to visit one
of the sixteen RDW inspection centres. You then pay EUR 22.50 for the
inspection and another EUR 37 for the number plate”, says Wallensteijn.
“It’s even easier if you arrange for
an inspector to visit you at home.
But that costs an extra EUR 50.”
But that’s not much when you
consider that a new Segway can
cost as much as EUR 6,000.
Cycle path
Once you have bought your
Segway and had it inspected
and registered, you can take it
out on the road (if you are over
16). But which part of the road?
Wallensteijn: “We officially call it a ‘self-balancing scooter’. As the name
suggests, it’s subject to the same rules as the scooter or moped, so you
have to use it on the cycle path. Unless you’re disabled, and then you’re
allowed on the pavement – but only at a maximum speed of 6 kilometres
per hour.”
Marien Walraven
Work Instructions Assistant RDW Zoetermeer
“I was 11 years old when my father
bought a Chevrolet Impala. It was a
real holiday car, because my father
only drove in it for three months of
the year. When I was 17, I got the
car. Five months after passing my
driving test, there was a fire under
the bonnet. I garaged it. However,
I’m planning to take it out again this
summer. I now have a large family
myself, so a big American car like
this is ideal.”
Erik Jan Heck
Technical Assistant - RDW Roosendaal
“I bought my first car, a 1973 Ford Taunus, in
Belgium and had to import it through an RDW
inspection centre in Roosendaal. Little did I know
that I would be working there a few years later.
And I ‘m still there: that’s what happens when
you have challenging work, lots of technology
and people to deal with. Work is never dull.”
Dennis Schuybroek
Inspector - RDW Roosendaal
“Old-timers are my passion.
My first car was a dark blue
1960 Renault 4 CV. I bought it
in 1987. At one point, I heard
squeaks and strange things
started to happen. The reason?
The wheel bearing had become
jammed, so the wheel stopped
turning. You can imagine what
happened to the car. Since then,
I’ve had one new car, but after
that only old-timers. I now have
another Renault 4 CV – this time
a better one!”
Peter Stok
Project Manager - RDW Groningen
“Because I passed my driving test first time while my older
brother failed three times, I got the 1969 Citroën Dyane. My
father had bought it from my uncle for two hundred guilders and
to his annoyance this old car started better than his own brand
new car. At the time, I was in love with a girl who I proudly
ferried round in my Dyane. We went out for a week, before she
left me for a boy with a better car.”
MY FIRST CAR (III)
Jan Strik
Customer Service Legislation, Policy and Supervision - RDW Veendam
“When I bought my NSU 1000 Prinz in 1970, it was already quite a pensioner – around ten years old. I don’t remember any
particularly unusual happening while I had it. Although, now I come to think of it, there was something – rather embarrassing
actually... One day, I was reversing out of the garage when the car suddenly stopped. I continued to put my foot on the
accelerator, but nothing happened. I couldn‘t understand it. Until I realised that an open door was jammed up against a wall. “
Patty L’Hoest
Administrative Assistant - RDW Roosendaal
“My very first car was an old-fashioned pedal car. It was a bit cramped,
because my brother and I always got in together. The next car that I
remember is my father’s Hillman Minx. A wonderful car from 1952 –
and look how empty the roads were on
the photo! The first car that I owned was a
red Ford Capri with green doors. A cool
car with a cool sound, due to the hole in
the exhaust. At least I thought so – but the
police didn’t.”
Jeroen Mackor
HR Advisor - RDW Zoetermeer
“My first car resembled a child’s drawing of a
car. I bought it in 1992 when I was 19.
A 1979 Ford Escort from the brother of a friend
who worked at a garage. It was a fine car, but
unfortunately failed its APK test a year and a half
later. The whole undercarriage was completely
corroded and was more like a Flintstone pedal
car.”
Huub Dellepoort
Head of Inspection Centre - RDW Roosendaal
“I bought my first car as a student, a Renault 6. Because they rust so easily, they were very
cheap, but the engines were very strong, so this was the best way to buy a ‘good’ car for a
fair price. As a student, I was usually broke, so I serviced it myself. An ideal tool was the book
‘Vraagbaak voor uw Renault 6’ (Questions about your Renault 6) which
I still have. A year later, I bought my second Renault 6. I kept the first one for the parts, in case
number two broke down. I later learned that it’s always the same parts that break in cars, so
keeping it wasn’t much use.”
Passed!
Text: Jens Holierhoek, photography: Keke Keukelaar
PASSINGTHE TEST
Inge Diepman,
the radio and
television personality
(Het Zwarte Schaap,
B&W, Herexamen),
invites us to come
along to her car’s
APK. The blond
presenter feels that
we should stop
feeling so negative
about the Periodic
Vehicle Inspection.
“The APK is a
service, not a
punishment.”
Together
Inspector Bert Mol checks the shock absorbers.
with Bert Mol, a mechanic at Toyota dealer Louwman in Amsterdam, we meet Inge Diepman at the garage entrance. After
a friendly welcome, Bert Mol asks for her registration certificate. At this point, Diepman has an axe to grind after last year:
“At my last APK inspection, some of the data on my registration certificate appeared to be illegible. That meant I had to go
to RDW before my car could pass the inspection. So I think it would be a good idea if the registration certificate was made
into a card.”
No problems this time, though. Bert Mol quickly verifies the car’s
registration mark with the data in the computer and everything turns out
to be in order. The first thing he does then is drive Inge’s car onto the test
bench to check the brakes. He then hangs measuring equipment in the
exhaust. “This is to measure various emission values, but Ms Diepman’s car
seems to be well within the limits.” The same applies to the headlight test.
A measuring system analyses the beam from the headlights. In no time,
Mol has inspected the interior, such as the functioning of the seatbelts. On
the outside, he checks the windscreen wipers and the brake lights. Then it’s
time to take a look under the bonnet. “I don’t have a list of things I need to
check, but I’ve been working with Toyota since 1972, so I can tell at once if
anything’s not right.” At the sight of the engine, Inge Diepman is reminded of a funny story. “I used to keep a hammer in one old
car I had. It came in very useful if the engine was playing up – one blow and the problem was solved.” Apparently, she’s not all
fingers and thumbs. “I can change a bulb and a tyre.” However, she does confess to asking a neighbour for help when she recently
had a flat tyre. “However hard I tried, I couldn’t loosen the nuts on the wheel.”
Inge drives around 30,000 kilometres in a year. Especially recently, she’s been travelling a lot. “I still do radio work and what
I used to do on television, I now do for internet television and at meetings all over the country.” Diepman is a presenter and often
acts as chairman for the day. Apparently, she has a love-hate relationship with her car. “I didn’t get off to a very good start with this
car. At first, I kept hearing a strange noise. It took ages to find out what was causing it. But I felt rather sorry for it when I had to
take it for its first APK test. It doesn’t need it yet – it’s still so young and fit, I thought.” Inge also likes her car for its high seating and
its practicality as a family car.
Bert Mol has almost finished. The car is on the ramp and the mechanic
is checking the wheel suspension and wheels, the exhaust and making sure
the brake lines are in order. The tyre profile measurement shows that the
tyres are well above the legal minimum. Inge Diepman’s car has passed its
APK with flying colours. Bert Mol registers the car in the system. With
her new APK certificate, Inge Diepman can take to the road again. “Many
people dislike the APK because they see it as an obligation. What they don’t
realise is that the APK is about safety and the environment. It’s a service, not
a punishment.”
‘I used to keep a hammer in
one old car I had. It came in
very useful if the engine was
playing up – one blow and
the problem was solved’
Inge Diepman hears the good news:
her Toyota has passed the test.
Text: Yvonne Jansen, photography: Keke Keukelaar
Interview: jan mengelers
‘CRISIS CAN MEAN
A LEAP FORWARD’
Cars are not only becoming cleaner and more fuelefficient, they are also becoming smarter. Inbuilt
intelligence can reduce the number of accidents and
congestion problems. Jan Mengelers, chairman of
research institute TNO’s Board of Management, feels
that the Netherlands should boost its knowledge
advantage in these fields in the coming years.
It is the opening day of a very sober AutoRAI 2009 and the bad news
is raining down, punctuated by the occasional sunny newsflash. Nature
and the Environment and three technological universities present a plan
aimed at accelerating the widescale introduction of electric cars on
Dutch roads to one million in 2020. On the same day, the Malaysian
car company Proton announces its plans to manufacture electric cars
on a large scale, with an electric engine developed in Damwoude in
Friesland.
Jan Mengelers is not really surprised. “The fact that the Netherlands
does not have its own car industry, outside DAF trucks and a Scania
branch, does not detract from our importance as a car country.
Unfortunately it’s not widely publicised. We have a hidden power,
which puts the Netherlands among the top of the car industry. We still
have 30,000 to 40,000 people working in this branch, from first-line
supply companies to companies manufacturing end products.”
Investment
The centre of these activities lies in the southeast of the Netherlands, with
Helmond as the epicentre. This is home to the High Tech Automotive
Campus. According to Mengelers, this cluster, which acts a magnet for
car-related companies, should keep the Netherlands at the top of the
automotive industry. Even in the eye of the recession storm, which has hit
the car industry harder than other branches. Investing now means reaping
the benefits in several years’ time: “I think that the crisis will accelerate
processes that would otherwise only have progressed gradually. This can
mean a leap forward.”
TNO recently invested EUR 25 million in the campus. Mengelers:
“We chose Helmond rather than Delft because education, research,
engineering and production go hand in hand in this region. The three
technological universities are merging their activities in Eindhoven,
where an automotive Master’s degree programme has been started.
Fontys Hogeschool and HAN University are launching a joint Bachelor’s
degree programme in car technology on the campus. An ROC
(Regional Education Centre) has also recently been added.”
Crash laboratory
According to the TNO top executive, the Netherlands must not
cherish the illusion that it will once again become a car producing
nation. However, he feels that there is sufficient critical mass to enable
the Netherlands, together with Belgium and Germany, to expand
its prominent position in the automotive industry. His knowledge
organisation contributes to this with research related to safety,
environmental sustainability and traffic flows (reducing congestion).
Mengelers: “In Helmond, TNO and TÜV Rheinland have a crash
laboratory where we test all kinds of safety aspects. This goes further
than automotive aspects and includes topics like seatbelts, crash helmets
and children’s seats. We also have emission laboratories where we
measure emissions from diesel trucks in particular. An important facility
was recently added: a climate chamber. This is an over-dimensional,
well-insulated cell, where we vary temperatures from -45 to +55 degrees
Celsius, simulate height differences by varying the air pressure from 0
to 4,000 metres above sea level and adjust air humidity and driving
wind. This enables us to simulate reality in detail. Until now, we carried
out laboratory-scale tests, after which you had to go into the mountains
or seek out cold or hot conditions before making corrections and testing
everything again. We are shortening this cycle because we no longer
need to wait till next winter. The shorter lead time is even more important
now that vehicle manufacturers are not only required to ensure emissions
are in order at delivery, but also after 50,000 or 100,000 kilometres.”
Intelligent cars
Mengelers has great expectations of inbuilt intelligence in vehicles,
cars which will increasingly ‘think for themselves’. This artificial ‘brain’
is being developed and tested in TNO’s VeHIL (Vehicle Hardware
In the Loop) laboratory. “Judgement is increasingly left to the system
rather than the driver. Cruise control allows you to adapt your distance
to the car in front. However, enabling systems to communicate with
each other could be a means of tackling congestion. A safe distance
from another car is currently around 2 driving seconds. If technology
communicates faster than humans, that safe driving distance could be
reduced to 1.5 or 1 second. If the car responds instantaneously to a
reduction in speed three cars ahead, more cars will fit on a kilometre of
asphalt. Such systems can then be linked to the infrastructure, like route
information. TNO was already a champion of passive safety; now we
are increasingly contributing to improving mobility.”
governance
RDW
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
RDW is an independent governing body – funded by charges – that performs statutory duties pursuant to the Road Traffic
Act, on the instruction of the Minister of Transport and Water
Management. Below we present an overview of the authorisations
of the various parties.
To ensure proper performance of its public duties, RDW
maintains structured contact with a range of other ministries
and government authorities, various sectors in the vehicle industry, insurance companies, lease companies and individual
sector and interest groups.
Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management
Consumer consultation with the vehicle industry
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has overall ministerial responsibility for RDW.
supervises the performance of the RDW.
is kept informed by the RDW Supervisory Board and
Management Board.
approves the budget and the rates charged, among other
things.
appoints the members of the Supervisory Board.
approves the remuneration of the Management Board.
Supervisory Board
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consists of five members.
is accountable to the Minister for their own performance.
supervises the work of the Management Board and provides advice where required.
approves the budget, the annual report and financial
statements, the staff’s legal position regulations, remuneration of the Management Board and investments.
has an Audit Committee and a Remuneration Committee.
appoints the members of the Management Board.
RDW Management Board
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consists of two members.
is charged with the day-to-day management of RDW.
is responsible for performing the assigned tasks.
monitors proper compliance with mandate rules, information rules and regulations, the rules for financial
management and applicable laws and regulations.
is supported in this process by a management team.
is accountable to the Supervisory Board and the Minister
for the pursued policy.
provides information to the Minister considered necessary for performing his or her tasks.
Consumer consultation with the vehicle industry allows
the industry and RDW to more closely align their working
methods. Issues related to RDW charges, RDW’s strategy and
RDW’s annual agenda are discussed along with vehicle issues
and regulations. Participants include representatives from
RDW, organisations from the vehicle industry, and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.
Sector Support Group (BBG)
The Sector Support Group regularly meets to discuss vehicle
documents and registration and agrees on specific issues, new
services and plans of RDW. Participants include representatives of RDW and a variety of trade organisations.
Stichting Overlegorgaan APK (APK inspection
consultative group - SO APK)
This organisation, in the form of a foundation, advises the
Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management on issues concerning APK inspections. Participants
include all parties involved in APK inspections.
To coordinate policy and other measures, RDW and its
main client, the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and
Water Management, have structured consultations in a
number of consultative bodies:
Management Group on Implementation (MOI)
The MOI monitors the progress of the implementation of
regulations and directives.
Vehicle policy coordination group (CBV)
The CBV focusses on preparing policies and the implementation and execution of Dutch and international regulations
on vehicles.
Documentation and Information Coordination
Group (CDI)
CDI focusses on policy preparation, implementation and
execution of Dutch and international regulations concerning documentation and information on vehicles and their
owners. With respect to driving licences, the Ministry and
RDW also meet with other partners in the driving licence
chain, in the driving licence and certificate coordination
group (CORC).
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
RDW’s position in society calls for high-quality services and scrupulous public accountability. To achieve these
objectives, RDW is a member of organisations such as the Handvestgroep (Charter Group) and the government-wide
Benchmark Group.
Charter Group for Public Accountability
Manifest Group
The Charter Group for Public Accountability is comprised
of twelve implementing organisations. It was established to
be accountable to the public for the quality of its services,
in addition to being accountable to the Minister. The group
acts in accordance with the themes of Quality, Price/Performance, Transparency and Responsive Action and Participation, as well as being responsible for implementing the
Good Governance Code for implementing organisations.
See also www.publiekverantwoorden.nl.
In 2005 RDW became a member of the Manifestgroep,
which includes eleven large social security administration
agencies. The members of the Manifestgroep are dedicated
to improving electronic services to individuals and companies.
Government-wide Benchmark Group
This group is comprised of 29 implementing organisations
that regularly compare each other’s management operations. The affiliated organisations are committed to learning
from each other in order to improve their operations. See
also www.rbb-groep.nl.
facts & figures
In 2008, two in three new passenger cars had a
green ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ label, whereas in the previous
year the rate was only 56 per cent. The number of
models with an ‘A’ or ‘B’ label, in particular, have
increased dramatically: by 108 per cent and 80 per
cent, respectively. 10.7 per cent of all cars in the
Netherlands belong to the ‘most efficient’ category
ABC
25,000
facts & figures
‘White doesn’t sell’ no longer applies to car
sales. White has been fashionable in recent
years – a claim proved by the fact that 25,000
passenger vehicles sold in 2008 were white.
Grey is still the favourite colour, while black
comes a good second. Nearly 215,000 grey
cars left the showroom in 2008. Black was
chosen over 167,000 times. Blue and red came
in third and fourth places, with 85,000 and
33,000 cars respectively. And: 28 people chose
to have their car painted pink.
00
0
RDW FINANCIAL DATA 2008
FINANCIAL DATA
2008 was a year of change for RDW: whereas in 2007
the organisation made a profit of EUR 6.9 million, it incurred
a loss of EUR 7.1 million in the past year. An operating deficit
of EUR 2.3 million had already been estimated for 2008,
making it possible to phase out the no longer necessary
APK/import inspections reserve by means of a rate reduction.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
As a result of the unexpected economic downturn during
the last quarter of the year, the projections for 2008 presented
in the long-term financial policy plan were not realised.
Additionally in 2008, a number of non-recurring factors
resulted in higher costs. Revenues declined in 2008 by EUR
2.2 million to EUR 180.4 million, which was due entirely to a
rate reduction of a net 3.1 per cent, implemented in 2008. The
volume of services increased in all revenue clusters, with both
Document Issuance and Category Certification experiencing
volume growth. This was driven by the higher than expected
number of Part IA vehicle registration certificates and the
annual update of trailers. In Category Certification, rates
increased by an average of 2 per cent.
Revenues in the Registration Number Inspections, Information Provision and Driving Licence Issuance clusters
declined, following rate reductions of 15 per cent, 9 per cent
and 12 per cent, respectively. Vehicle Registration Inspections saw a slight increase in volume (3%), which was fuelled
by an increase in the number of motorcycle inspections. The
Information Provision cluster also showed a slight increase
(1%). The number of free issuances also increased as a result
of the transition from the vehicle registration system to a
basic register. Revenues from exemption permits were the
same as last year, although they did include a 31 per cent rate
reduction.
Finally, the subsidy for the new driving licence decreased
from EUR 2.6 million to EUR 1.1 million, due to the completion of the project activities and the fact that only back-office
costs are charged.
Moderate rates policy and cost savings
RDW and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and
Water Management agreed that the rates would increase or
decrease by a maximum of 5 per cent each year, excluding
inflation. Over the past five years, RDW has shown that it is
possible to work more efficiently each year. In recent years,
the focus has shifted from working more economically to
working more efficiently, with the efficiency increasingly be68 | R D W A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 8
ing achieved through an improvement of business processes
rather than mere cost reductions. This provides a continuous
incentive to come up with process improvements. RDW rates
dropped by a net 3.1 per cent in 2008, 1.8 per cent of which
was introduced on 1 January and the remaining 1.3 per cent
on 1 July 2008.
Cost-effective task clusters
When RDW became an independent entity, it was agreed
with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management that the organisation’s services should be
cost-effective. In order to achieve this, RDW’s products and
services were integrated into ten clusters. ‘Cost-effective’ here
means that the clusters may not show any operating deficits
or surpluses; in other words, all clusters must be financially
sound. As a result of the reduced reserves and the operating
deficit, cost-effectiveness for the task clusters averaged 96 per
cent in 2008, thereby ensuring that the APK/import reserve is
phased out at an accelerated rate.
Investments
Investments in tangible fixed assets totalled EUR 6.7 million in 2008. A total of EUR 4.7 million was invested in the
Zoetermeer accommodation concept, an extension of the
mainframe, workstations, and the purchase of servers and
disks. RDW invested EUR 0.8 million in equipment for the
investigation of driving licence fraud and the purchase of
an envelope inserter, as well as investing EUR 0.9 million in
garage doors at the inspection centres and the acquisition of
land in Veendam for parking spaces. In 2008, EUR 3.2 million
was invested in intangible fixed assets: EUR 2.3 million in the
acquisition of software for integrated cash registers at the inspection stations, security software and ETL tooling. Finally,
EUR 0.9 million was invested in RDW-developed software: a
module for e-Learning and the development of software for
the SAP-linked cash registers.
FINANCIAL OUTLOOK
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
2008
BUDGETED
2007
IN %
180.4
174.7
182.6
-1%
1.1
1.3
2.6
190.0
178.5
179.3
RESULT FROM ORDINARY OPERATIONS
-8.5
-2.4
5.9
Financial income and expenses
1.4
0.1
1.0
NET RESULT
-7.1
-2.3
6.9
Turnover
Subsidy new driving licences (Min. of Transport, Public Works and Water Management)
Costs
6%
FINANCIAL PROSPECTS
The final quarter of 2008 saw a reversal in the economic
cycle, which is expected to continue in 2009 and 2010. However, conditions are difficult to predict, and projections by
organisations such as the Netherlands Bureau for Economic
Policy Analysis (CPB), OESO and IMF are downgraded each
quarter. RDW decided to adapt the 2009 budget, agreed
with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management, to the adjusted CPB projections made in
December 2008. According to these projections, the Dutch
economy (i.e. GDP) will shrink by an average of 0.75 per cent,
which means that the projected final result, with a loss of EUR
10.6 million, is EUR 4.1 lower than projected in the long-term
financial policy plan for 2009. On balance, this represents
only the decline in revenue from the Part IA vehicle registration documents, financed from the contingency reserve, and
is EUR 3.5 million lower than in 2008. Trends and developments in 2009 are closely monitored each month.
Parallel to the 0.75 per cent scenario, another scenario was
identified for further contraction; during the first six months
of 2009, plans will be developed for this latter scenario.
Turnover, costs and rate movements
For 2009, the sharpest decline in revenue is expected from the
issuance of vehicle registration documents, as well as in Category Certification and Licence Plate Inspections. However,
this is offset by higher revenues from third-party projects
such as ‘Anders Betalen voor Mobiliteit’.
In 2009, costs are expected to decrease by 3 per cent compared
to 2008, while the number of FTEs will drop to 1,465. Personnel costs will decline by 2 per cent in 2009; the remaining costs
will decrease by 5 per cent.
The interests of RDW’s stakeholders will be taken into account when establishing plans to deal with the anticipated
contraction. In 2009, rates will decline by an average of 0.5
per cent.
Investment and financing
Investments are set to increase by EUR 9 million to EUR 19.4
million in 2009; for investments in intangible assets, a total of
EUR 6.8 million has been budgeted. It is expected that costs
for e-learning and the establishment of a new Wintel platform
to replace the current Unisys mainframe will result in capitalisation of in-house-developed software. The budget for investments in tangible fixed assets totals EUR 12.6 million. The
renovations in Veendam and Zoetermeer and the acquisition
of IT equipment are examples of substantial investments. As
a result of the projected operating loss, RDW’s cash position
will decline by EUR 12.9 million to approximately EUR 18
million.
facts & figures
200,000
Nearly 200,000 passenger cars
were demolished in the past year.
Not all these models were very
old, as just over 11,541 cars had
been used for less than 11 years,
and 2,292 had been used for only
five years or less.
200
Balance sheet as PER 31 December 2008
(after the appropriation of the operating deficit)
(All amounts are stated in EUR x 1,000)
Balance as per
Balance as per
1 Dec. 2008
31 Dec. 2007
ASSETS
Fixed assets
Intangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets
8,885
9,749
44,074
42,947
52,959
52,696
Current assets
Stocks
Receivables
Prepayments and accrued income
Cash at bank and in hand
1,126
1,180
11,555
12,202
6,989
6,499
30,935
39,223
Total assets
50,605
59,104
103,564
111,800
LIABILITIES
Reserves
Long-term reserve
20,728
20,205
Contingency reserve
9,100
9,100
Appropriation reserve for driving licences
4,558
2,323
-
-
Appropriation reserve for APK/import inspections
2,969
11,684
Support policy reserve
6,300
11,200
Policy initiative reserves
3,536
-
Statutory reserve for intangible fixed assets
2,153
1,904
Appropriation reserve for ineffective clusters
Provisions
Long-term debt
49,344
56,416
9,506
9,756
12,000
12,000
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
10,451
11,438
Other liabilities
16,091
15,160
6,172
7,030
Accruals and deferred income
Total liabilities
32,714
33,628
103,564
111,800
008
Operating statement 2008
All amounts are stated in EUR x 1,000)
Actual
Budgeted
Realised
2008
2008
2007
Operating income
Turnover
Subsidy for new driving licences
180,417
174,775
182,596
1,134
1,300
2,606
181,551
185,202
176,075
Operating expenses
Wages and salaries
67,930
67,035
62,784
Pension charges
8,009
7,348
6,882
Social security costs
5,722
5,249
4,916
Depreciation and amortisation
9,452
11,331
12,689
Transaction fees
15,192
15,370
15,771
Other operating costs
83,709
72,187
76,275
Result from ordinary operations
190,014
178,520
179,317
(8,463)
(2,445)
5,885
Financial income and expenses
Interest income
1,806
123
1,466
Interest charges
(415)
0
(419)
Net result
1,391
123
1,047
(7,072)
(2,322)
6,932
200
Performance indicators
Performance indicators and results
To assess our services and improve them where necessary, RDW uses performance indicators to check whether matters have indeed improved. The
performance indicators are contained in the management agreements made by the Management Board with the divisional and departmental heads
each year. These indicators are also used in the supervisory relationship with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. This
information is not subject to an audit. Below a summary is provided of the performance indicators and the results of RDW.
Performance indicator
2008
2007
Norm
Average rate movements
-3.1%
-2.5%
+/- 5%
20,963
20,247
*
Dutch category certification
7,275
10,422
*
Test reports
5,637
4,957
*
339
343
390 in 2008
14,269
12,374
*
124,015
125,104
*
15,716
14,970
*
Light trailers and semi-trailers
8,603
9,639
*
Heavy trailers and semi-trailers
7,607
7,678
*
17,549
26,257
*
7 working days
7 working days
10 working days
95% < 72 hours
95% < 72 hours
< 72 hours
496
419
*
Long and heavy vehicles
2,970
2,781
*
Refrigerated trucks
1,212
1,269
*
2,241
1,771
*
Buses
10,946
10,714
*
ADR vehicles (transport of dangerous substances)
13,142
12,301
*
200,899
147,285
*
3.5 days
2.4 days
< 2 day
9,623
9,491
*
21,416
20,909
*
Category certification **
International category certification
Conformity of Production (COP)
Individual inspections **
Registration investigations
Motorcycles
Light motor vehicles
Heavy motor vehicles
Mopeds
Other indicators
Average waiting time for inspection appointment
Time from inspection to issuing documents
Design inspections
Buses, taxis, vehicles for the disabled
Periodic inspections by RDW
APK inspections (light and heavy vehicles)
Exceptional Transport Permits **
Exemption permits issued
Time for issuing permits < 100 tonnes
Authorised agents
APK, LPG, speed limiter, TA and combinations
Commercial fleet/commercial number plates and number plate manufacturers
008
2008
2007
Norm
APK**
9,449
9,339
*
LPG**
343
367
*
Speed limiter/TA**
834
824
*
21,063
20,558
*
572
582
*
Export
2,152
1,978
*
Vehicle ascription
3,706
3,163
*
Number plates (GAIK)
358
351
*
334
308
*
5,135
5,374
1 x every 2 years
Authorisations
Commercial fleet/commercial number plates
Disassembly
Supervision of authorised agents (administrative)
Inspection visits
APK **
(= 4.725 in 2008)
LPG **
298
276
Speed limiter/TA **
591
672
1 x every year
15,883
16,427
1 x every 2 years
275
341
1 x every year
(= 343 in 2008)
(= 834 in 2008)
Commercial fleet/commercial number plates scheme
(= 10,357 in 2008)
Disassembly
1 x every 2 years
(= 293 in 2008))
Export
582
1,121
6,535
5,735
1 x every 2 years
(= 1,000 in 2008)
Vehicle ascription
2 x every year
(= 6,496 in 2008)
Number plates
812
551
1 x every year
(= 353 in 2008)
236
281
1 x every 2 years
(= 156 in 2008)
Supervision of technical implementation
APK 1(heavy vehicles)**
Inspection reports
Random test rate
Random tests
276,255
266,459
*
3.1%
1.9%
3%
8,509
5,079
*
6,801,630
6,974,179
*
3,1%
3,0%
3%
213,744
206,455
*
23,222
17,067
*
APK 2 (light vehicles)**
Inspection reports
Random test rate
Random tests
LPG **
Inspection reports
Random test rate
Random tests
4.7%
4.6%
5%
1,102
784
*
89,301
84,623
*
Speed limiter/TA**
Inspection reports
Random test rate
3.4%
3.0%
5%
Random tests
3,021
2,530
*
Failure rate APK-1 (heavy vehicles)
13.0%
12,0%
*
8.0%
7.6%
*
Failure rate APK-2 (light vehicles)
200
2008
2007
Norm
396
243
*
▪ Technical suspension
47
100
*
▪ Conditional suspension
90
144
*
▪ Temporary suspension
148
153
*
▪ Permanent revocation
31
56
*
▪ Warning with stricter supervision
1,549
1,626
*
▪ Suspension
1,262
1,365
*
45
35
*
▪ Temporary suspension
263
257
*
▪ Permanent revocation
410
424
*
681
563
*
Decisions on objections
99
112
*
Appeals and provisional arrangements
73
57
*
66
88
*
51
41
*
141
185
*
16
26
*
671
1,769
*
54
64
*
9
20
*
Sanctions
Sanctions following inspection visits
Against authorised agents for APK inspections, LPG, speed limiters/TA
▪ Warning
Against authorised agents for commercial fleets, commercial number plates, disassembly,
export, number plates, ascription
▪ Conditional suspension
Sanctions following random tests
Against car inspectors because of suspected incorrect approval/failure of APK inspection
Objections and appeals
Against suspensions APK inspection, LPG, speed limiters/TA authorisation
Objections and appeals concerning sanctions against car inspectors
Objections and appeals in connection with commercial fleet
Miscellaneous
Objections and appeals against suspected incorrect approval/failure of APK inspections
Number of founded appeals
Electronic information supply from the registers
Number of requests per client category
Police and Justice Department
210,200,000
222,900,000
*
Vehicle industry
222,100,000
195,700,000
*
Ministry of Finance (Tax and Customs Administration)
23,000,000
20,500,000
*
Members of the public (vehicle information via internet)
34,200,000
28,500,000
*
Insurance companies
9,200,000
8,100,000
*
Clients via BKR
2,600,000
3,200,000
*
Municipality
16,100,000
15,500,000
*
Other (including CBS, CBR and IVW)
64,100,000
39,400,000
*
Method of information supply
Online
146,800,000
126,500,000
*
Batch
434,700,000
407,300,000
*
99.7%
99.5%
97.5%
Other indicators
Availability rates for requests and changes concerning core registers
008
Performance indicators
2008
2007
Norm
INFORMATION PROVIDED VIA TELEPHONE BY CLIENT SERVICES
Number of calls dealt with
General (the public)
778,118
789,086
*
Traders’ line
107,533
119,480
*
Current account
29,161
32,864
*
Police line
11,217
13,227
*
Client services
0:00:56
0:00:47
< 1 minute
Police line
0:00:22
0:00:29
< 1 minute
22,557
44,088
*
96%
50%
95% < 9 days
83,175
82,584
*
1.2 days
1.0 days
< 3 days
11,222,060
11,003,907
*
599,941
833,727
*
26,711
-
*
109,131
-
*
Average waiting time per call
Written information provision
Correspondence (number of letters received)
Average time to respond to letters
Information supplied by email
Open questions
Average time to respond
Internet use
Visits to www.rdw.nl
Downloads of brochures and forms
Web self-service
Visits to www.apk.nl
Document issuance
Registration certificate Part IA
Fast-track and individual
883,277
875,000
*
Replacement documents
199,477
189,000
*
5,067
13,000
*
Post offices
2,212,478
2,324,495
*
Authorised agents
1,058,115
946,020
*
160,437
162,347
*
1,876,041
1,902,000
*
66
283
*
15,832
16,000
*
Time required for fast-track documents
24 hours
24 hours
< 24 hours
Time required for issuing driving licences
5.9 days
6.0 days
< 9 working days
1,327
1,310
*
▪ within RDW target lead time
89%
74%
< 4 weeks
▪ within statutory lead time
97%
89%
< 6 weeks
41
39
*
4%
4.5%
5%
87%
79%
85%
Special documents
Ascription certificate Part IB
RDW
Driving licences
Moped certificates
Registration documents for speedboats
Other indicators
Complaints and Ombudsman cases
Number of complaints
Time required to process complaints
Number of cases referred to the ombudsman
Personnel policy
Absenteeism
Appraisal interviews
* There is no norm for this aspect. RDW depends on the supply during the year under review, which, in turn, depends on external factors.
** This process is ISO-certified.
Officials
SUPERVISORY BOARD
RDW has a Supervisory Board, which supervises the work of and advises the Management Board. In 2008, the
Supervisory Board was comprised of the following members:
Ms. T. Netelenbos, Chair
‘Politics/management’ portfolio
Appointed from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2012 (2nd term of office)
P.P.J.J.M. van Besouw, Deputy Chair
‘Finances’ portfolio
Ms. P.C. Plooij- Van-Gorsel, Secretary
‘Consumer/sector’ portfolio
P.W. de Kam, member
‘ICT’ portfolio
C.A. Vrins, member
‘Staff’ portfolio
In view of the good governance code for implementing organisations, the Supervisory Board established two
committees from its members, composed of:
Audit Committee: Van Besouw (Chair) and De Kam (member)
Remunerations Committee: Vrins (Chair) and Ms. Netelenbos (member)
Ms. J.C. ten Brug is responsible for the secretarial duties.
MANAGEMENT BOARD
General Manager
J.G. Hakkenberg
Operational Director
H. van Santen
MANAGEMENT TEAM
The Management Team provides assistance to the Management Board. In 2008, the Management Team was
composed of:
Deputy Director
J.A.F. van der Bruggen
Manager of the Vehicle Technology Division
W.D. Koppel (until 1 April 2008)
G. Bordewijk (acting manager, from 1 April to 1 November 2008)
R.G. Labordus (since 1 November 2008)
Manager of the Registration & Information Division
Z. Baelde R.A.
Manager of the ICT Organisation
G.J.F. Doll
Manager of the Finance & Control Division
J. van Aller RC
Manager of the Legal and Administrative Affairs Department
H. Pasman
Manager of the Human Resources Department
Ms. M.A.C. Ruimers
Manager of the Communications Department
Ms. J. Eising
The secretarial duties are performed by Ms. M.J. Stiksma.
In addition, the Management Board is advised by:
Manager of the Vehicle Regulations Development Department (‘Ontwikkeling Voertuigreglementering’)
C. Doornheim
Manager of the Strategy and External Developments Department
J. van der Tuuk (deceased 7 April 2009)
Manager of the Facilities Organisation
P.H.F. Bom
STAFF COUNCIL
In 2008, the Staff Council was comprised of the following members:
R. van den Brink – Chair (ABVAKABO FNV)
R. Welling – 1st Deputy Chair (Wintkracht.)
W. Broenland – 2nd Deputy Chair until 28 January 2008 (CNV Publieke Zaak)
J. Krol – 2nd Deputy Chair since 28 January 2008 (Wintkracht.)
ABVAKABO FNV
Ms. T. Eisses
R.J.J. Verblakt
J.N.M. Baas
Ms. B. Cox-Vertommen (until 8 January 2008)
J.W. Vorselman (from 8 January to 23 June 2008)
CNV Publieke Zaak
W. Broenland (until 1 August 2008)
J. Hogenkamp (until 1 May 2008)
K. Westerhuis
L. de Gelder (since 1 May 2008)
A. de Man (since 1 August 2008)
Wintkracht.
Ms. B. de Niet-Jansen
G. Boukes
C. Didden
A. Stam
H. Korsten
Ms. C. Mooij, who is the official Secretary, is responsible for the secretarial duties.
SIGNS AND GESTURES
Illustrations: Richard Simons
The Invitation sign
The Invitation
sign: the hand
gesture asking
‘What are
you doing this
evening?’
The I want to get
to know you sign:
the gesture for
‘You look nice!’
The Denial sign:
‘I haven’t done
anything wrong.
It wasn’t me.’
I want to get to know you sign
The Denial sign
The Recognition sign
The Confession sign
The Confession sign: this is how you gesture ‘Sorry, my fault!’
The Recognition sign: this is how you show that you recognise someone.
RECOGNISE the signs
A good hand sign says more than a thousand words. Communicating in cars can be tricky.
A hand gesture tends to be the only instrument available to the driver. But how do you know
what someone is trying to say? Here are five signs that might be helpful in traffic.
olophon
COLOPHON
EDITING RDW ZOETERMEER
PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATIONS
Nathalie Gruithuijzen
Erwin Hazenack
Annette Koemans
ANP
Istockphotografie
Getty images
Liselore Chevalier
Keke Keukelaar
Masterfile
Richard Simmons@shoparound.nl
REALISATION & PRODUCTION
Readershouse Brand Media, Amsterdam
Fleur Breitbarth
Cindy Geuke
Jos Jägers
Jerina van Heck
Lieke Lemmens
Hans Verstraaten
EDITING
Rick Akkermans
Lucas Boot
Toine van der Heijden
Jens Holierhoek
Yvonne Janssen
Andrew Mason
Guus Peters
TRANSLATION
Wilkens C.S. overheidsvertalingen
DESIGN
Make (www.makecontact.nl)
LITHOGRAPHY
GPB Leiderdorp
PRINT
Drukkerij Offset Service, Valkenswaard
CIRCULATION
1,000 copies
DISCLAIMER
The Annual Report is published in English and Dutch. In case of any
discrepancy between these versions, the Dutch text shall prevail.
Copies of this annual report are available from:
RDW Customer Service
PO Box 777, 2700 AT Zoetermeer
Telephone: 0900-0739 (EUR 0.10 per minute)
You can also download the annual report at: www.rdw.nl
IN THE BACK SEAT WITH …
Wim Kuijken, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management since 1 April
2007. With his driver, he spends at least 20 hours a week on the road, usually for work. In the back seat of this official
car, we asked him a few questions.
Do you prefer to be the driver or the passenger?
“I prefer driving myself, but it’s naturally much more efficient to work
in the car, given the amount of time I spend on the road. I consider it
as an ambulant office: I read, make telephone calls and listen to the
radio. My job requires me to be up to date with what’s happening in
society. In my previous position as Secretary-General of General
Affairs (2002-2007), I became even more aware of the fact that
society operates 24 hours a day.”
Peak hour commuter travel or flexible hours?
“Living in The Hague, I don’t have any problems getting to and from the
office. If I have to go to meetings during the day, I try to plan them outside
the rush hour. This particularly applies to work visits, which tend to be all
over the country. I don’t like arriving late, so I try to avoid that. I’m also
a supporter of flexible working hours and letting people plan their work
to avoid traffic congestion. Here at the Ministry we stimulated this on the
National Congestion-Free day, which was a success.”
What do you do in a traffic jam?
“If I do get caught in traffic, I try to stay calm and continue my work. I don’t
think we’ll ever see an end to the phenomenon of traffic jams, but if I look
at what is being achieved within the available space and margins, we
are doing everything we can to tackle the problem. Roads can be built
or widened faster through the Road Widening Emergency Act, traffic
management ensures better use of roads and in the future the kilometre
charge will reveal what driving a car really costs you. And in these
straitened economic times, the roads are less busy anyhow.”
One day, you would like to drive in…
“Personally, I’m not terribly interested in cars. Unlike some of the ministers
I have worked with, I consider them as just a means of transport. Both
Minister Eurlings and Prime Minister Balkenende are huge car enthusiasts.
My private car is a second hand Volvo 940, with over 200,000 kilometres
on the clock. An automatic and just a really nice car. It’s an estate, so very
spacious. A good car to take on holiday. The only car I’d really like to drive
one day is a Citroën 2CV. A car that starts to drive differently once you cross
the French border.”

aCTiviTieS - Jaarverslag RDW

Transcription

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