[Nettime-nl] Amsterdam: “This station is closed” yet another example of the decline of public services

[Tjebbe van Tijen via Chello <t.tijen@chello.nl>]

Amsterdam: “This station is closed” yet another example of the decline of public services

August 16, 2010 by Tjebbe van Tijen

Today the subway in Amsterdam opens again after being closed for six weeks because of an administrative mistake. This is NO joke, this is the infamous world village of Amsterdam. Working on a tramway or railway or whatever way in this muddy village most often results in closing off for what seems to be an unlimited time, whatever traffic passage may be concerned. The contract with the building firm that was at the basis of the decision to close down the metro for six weeks, was refuted because terms could not be met, but nevertheless the subway was closed down, because as a spokesman said the subway drivers all had been send already with holidays… This left me wondering about the sublime working conditions: 6 week sin one go? As this is a segregated town – though in full denial of the fact – it is “only” the predominant ‘non-wester-allochtones’ that suffered (sorry for the Dutch Apartheid vocabulary, you may need to check Wikpedia for this) they especially need to travel back & forward from the suburban Bijlmer-ghetto to the inner city.

[images]

It is (only) thanks to the upcoming SAIL tourist event where eager – entrepreneurs hope to welcome a million extra clients – that the wind will blow some life into the subterranean public transport system. The photograph above shows a clumsy sign at one of the entrances of the subway system at the Central Station. At the most central Waterlooplein subway station that can be seen from my window there was NO sign whatsoever about why the doors were closed and how to get to the Bijlmer-ghetto…

the full illustrated article can be found at

http://limpingmessenger.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/amsterdam-this-station-is-closed-yet-another-example-of-the-decline-of-public-services/
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