1974: WITKAR - Amsterdam's TRANSPORT REVOLUTION? | Tomorrow's World | Retro Transport | BBC Archive

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Considering this film is 50 years old, whoever invented this should be congratulated for their amazing foresight. It needs redesigning but the idea (for 1974) is so futuristic.

[@brocktoon8]

Hey now! It's not 50 years old YET! lol

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@brocktoon8- Well the trees in the film are in full green leaf so I guess it was shot during summer 1974, as it’s now October 2024 I make that slightly over 50 years ago.

[@ronald3836]

@@AtheistOrphan According to the desctription it was broadcast on 17 October 1974. It may have been recorded 50 years ago to the day... 7 October 1974 was a Monday, too. There are now far more bikes around than back then. And I would not be surprised if several of the streets in the video are now car free (or will be within some years).

[@vdeovisuals]

Not at all, it proves how de-evolved we are and that our current technology hasn't advanced in 50+ years The first electric cars were created over 120 years ago But the idea was suppressed in order for oil companies to continue making profit at the cost of our environment Video calls have been around since the early 1980's, if not earlier Touchscreen technology has been around since the 1970's/80's The first car phones were created in the 1940's The only thing that has happened is the technology has been condensed and refined to fit it all into a handheld device, which Nikola Tesla envisioned and designed in the late 1800's If you read more instead of watching KZbin you would be aware that technology hasn't advanced much at all in the last century, and that our so called civilisation has become less civilised in the same period of time

[@ronald3836]

@@vdeovisuals you know very little about the development of technology, and I guess you are inclined to crazy baseless conspiracies.

[@SeverityOne]

The congestion problem in Amsterdam was dealt with by separating traffic streams. There are three streams: 1) Bicycles 2) Trams and buses 3) Other motor vehicles (usually cars) It's not that you cannot get into Amsterdam by car. You can, in fact still reach most places by car. But it's going to be a circuitous route, and if you find where to park at all, it's going to be _very_ expensive. However, because the streams are separated, a tram or bus is not going to get stuck in a traffic jam. Plus, trams and bicycles usually don't get into each other's way, which reduces the chance of accidents. If it weren't for the masses of tourists, Amsterdam would be an extremely liveable city.

[@sglenny001]

Yes there's an log of city's live that though

[@fireworkstarter]

"Livable city" itd not the tourists that ruined the place xD

[@SeverityOne]

@@fireworkstarter Well, I live in a country that sees three million visitors a year (most of them tourists) on a population of just over half a million - a ratio more or less on par with Amsterdam's. Somebody did research into this, and got a PhD, and the outcome of this was that people want to live in a beautiful place - such as Amsterdam - but not get so many tourists. However, tourists flock there because it's a beautiful place. So the best that you can do is try to mitigate the impact of tourism.

[@goldieandblackie]

The first actual Witkar project took place in Amsterdam between 1974 and 1986. While it provided daily service for more than 4,000 registered users over those years, the project never got beyond the limited demonstration phase due to a lack of support by government.

[@ronald3836]

I think it is fair to say it was ahead of its time.

[@ThunderAppeal]

Not lack of support from the government but lack of interest by the public.

[@carlbirtles4518]

@@ThunderAppeal They either prefer their big, planet-killing gas-guzzlers or the cheaper, easier-to-maintain bicycles rode by people who have no right of way.

[@Hansen710]

it must have worked somehow people in nederland is still riding around in stuff like this, unlike the rest of the workd maby people did not like sharring

[@Hansen710]

@@ronald3836it does look more heavy and stable then the ones used in nl today.. they look like a gust of wind could put them on the side

[@brizzieleif5258]

Amsterdam had a white bicycle initiative in the 60’s. People would ride to their destination and then leave it for someone else to use. I guess thats were the ‘white car’ idea comes from.

[@KneppaH]

Today we have shared bikes everywhere on every train station in the Netherlands. They're called OV fietsen. It is a great success and widely used. Especially by students who are riding trains from their home town to their university. The bikes are used for the "last mile" from train station to their destination.

[@birdsgrove]

@@KneppaH 50 years ago

[@mark9294]

@@KneppaHwell the white bike was even more convenient considering it could be left anywhere and required no registration etc

[@CrippleX89]

The same guy was behind both initiatives

[@KneppaH]

@@CrippleX89 that is a nice bit of information

[@dornierdo2172]

Great presenter William Woolard.

[@brocktoon8]

A shame these never took off, they're charming! I want one!

[@Larry]

You seen the Citroen Ami? That's what the modern version in France is.

[@brocktoon8]

@@Larry Oh cool, I'll check those out, thanks!

[@Larry]

@@brocktoon8 No worries :) You can buy them over here too brand new for about £7000, but they're planned to be rented for 10p a minute in cities like London.

[@fr.mcgreer8349]

If they took off, they'd be aeroplanes 😜

[@brocktoon8]

@@fr.mcgreer8349 😆

[@xdasdaasdasd4787]

The design not withstanding, the idea and execution was bang on ..

[@beausexon7546]

This is actually a very good idea with the charging dock.

[@anthonydpearson]

A much better idea is bikes and public transit, which thankfully Amsterdam chose.

[@mark9294]

@@anthonydpearsonthe two can exist in tandem.

[@qqleq]

@@mark9294 Shared cars everywhere also nowadays. And something similar to the charging dock is used for the electric buses.

[@Larry]

Having to return them to a designated station, really just made them a self-driving bus. Also, was a bit pointless if you go to a station and none were there, or returning them to a station and the place is full up, was apparently also a major issue with them in the end. A nice idea, but, the technology just wasn't there yet.

[@jamesportrais3946]

Also - with that self-driving bus, could you really be certain you don't climb into one that's been used for means other than intended? Not sure I'd like to get in one...

[@jeptioak]

​@@jamesportrais3946What, like a sexual activity? Because you'd have no privacy, and there's quite a few other things in this setup that rely on the honor system.

[@jeptioak]

Also, it has to be said that you can drive and park it anywhere, but it will charge you if you don't bring it back to a station. In that way, it really is bus-like.

[@jamesportrais3946]

@@jeptioak Well, that might have occurred to me, but sensibilities prevailed. I was more referring to the same use that good ole' British telephone boxes became synonymous with, and that time you regretted letting your paralytic mate stop for a kebab on the way home from a skin-full.

[@jeptioak]

@@jamesportrais3946 I guess, although drunk driving is always a problem in any car.

[@captainchaos3667]

"Slowly being strangled by the motorcar" - this was _fifty_ years ago. They already had this insight, yet in most places it has only gotten worse.

[@KPsTboy]

I remember them all parked at a charging station at the Oudebrugsteeg in Amsterdam. I always was very curious about them; they always were just parked there and I've never seen anyone driving one ever untill suddenly, they were gone. Good to know more about it finally.

[@damiaanspatrick2050]

And in 2024, bikes have the upper hand. Almost no cars in the city center

[@deejaytracksuit88]

depends how you look at it. amount yes. but what about the space that cars take up (roads & parking spots, garages,…) vs bicycles or public transport

[@DonGivani]

​​@@deejaytracksuit88 I can tell there are far less roads for cars in the A'dam City centre compared to 2004. Parking is focused around Park and Rides around the A10 highway

[@qqleq]

@@DonGivani They have built quite some (very) large parking garages as well in the center. They are super expensive, of course, but you can park easily in Amsterdam center.

[@usernamenotavailable999]

These charging docks look like a more advanced solution than the charging stations used to today for electric vehicles

[@mrnobody3276]

They gave it a good go lads.

[@musiqsoundsproductions]

And now I drive almost the same electric micro car in Amsterdam. This man had a foresight!

[@edwardfletcher7790]

What micro car do you have ?

[@RSchrE]

50 years on and this type of transport has finally started to roll.

[@Triggernlfrl]

The electric car was before the gasoline car...

[@fireworkstarter]

You mean useless ride sharing ideas where they buy 30X the amount of items that get used? You dont want to know how many ride share mopeds ive seen broken on the sidewalk. Also it doesnt actualy do anything agaisnt trafic, people just get into more idivudualized cars. Its a car centric city tryibg to suddenly switch to "green" even amsterdam doesnt know what it wants

[@sietse9920]

Love to see all the other cars around the Witkar!!!

[@willyappel7722]

Opel kadett, ford taunus: the favourites back then.

[@sleepyheadsleeps]

looks like a mobile shower unit .

[@ronald3836]

It also reminds me of the Popemobile.

[@dglcomputers1498]

Add a water tank, pump and shower head and you can speed up your morning routine by showering on the way to work 😂

[@somedutchguy9184]

Would have been convenient for people like Mr. Bean.

[@gmy33]

Under 30mph no wind resistrnce

[@rensha8635]

With no shower curtain 😂

[@ohjajohh]

I see the weather hasn't changed. Still as rainy as today

[@patty109109]

It’s honestly not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Given when this came out a lot of these ideas have been looked at now and are still around.

[@hau5ofmau5]

This is incredible, such great foresight as this is so so close to how we operate in modern cities today.

[@iaccaloco]

I still 'member seeing these while driving through Amsterdam at the back of my father's car who had a friend with an Italian restaurant. I still see them in my mind, standing in line at the charging-station and i've allways liked them!👍🏽🤗

[@esiebring7436]

I wasn't born back then (let alone been living in Amsterdam), but I'd've loved the idea! Currently I'm living in Amsterdam, don't have a car, do have a bike and a shared car subscription. It's so convenient that I have 5 shared cars to choose from, each within a few minutes walk, without all the hassle of owning one (finding parking space f.e.)! I am glad they improved the looks though.

[@daveys]

There’s an interesting article on Wikipedia about the Witkar service and what happened to it.

[@AlfredHimmelweiss]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witkar

[@Darth_Chicken]

I remember this being shown on UK TV. The cost would be £1.38/min in today's money.

[@fireworkstarter]

A electric share bike is 4-5 euros per day, so unless you have to haul something (wich wont fit in the weird cabin of the witcar) then why overpay to be stick in trafic again?

[@johnhamilton2923]

William Woolard always looked like a man from the future.

[@rensha8635]

I’m in stitches watching this 😂

[@Klont123]

Instead, we now have gigantic suv electric cars used for 10 minute drives bringing kids to school.

[@a1white]

In Amsterdam that didn’t happen though. What did cure all the car problems in 70’s Amsterdam was the bicycle. Go there now and you’’l not have all that traffic noise and congestion

[@AtheistOrphan]

It’s a bit squeaky isn’t it?

[@robinvanags912]

.....yes - rattle & squeak.

[@SlartibartfastTheFourth]

@@robinvanags912😂😂😂

[@wildviaduct]

Light-weight compact Witkar 50 years ago and now they make heavy weight electric SUV's....

[@AdamEve-t4j]

03:35 WIMPY!!!! lol that's what I got from this video :)

[@digitaldobbie]

Didn’t Homer Simpson invent this?

[@EvanWhitney-yk5ds]

The witkar was a genius idea.. 50 years ago.. Dutch always ahead of the game..

[@eamonnevans8005]

This idea was really quite ingenious! What a shame the idea never took off. If should be looked at again in all European cities - including London.

[@hauskahirvi]

Very interesting idea and far ahead of its time. Impressive. I think the Dutch did well since then by implementing an excellent infrastructure for bicycles. Generally speaking, I think the way forward to reduce traffic congestion is to have more public transport, more bicycle lanes, more pedestrian friendly designed city to reduce the dependance on automobiles overall and that includes all kinds of automobile types; internal combustion, electric and even the idea of self-driving cars.

[@rolfonso]

Funny how this is now fairly common in Rotterdam, so I guess Amsterdam shouldn't be far behind. The new version has 4 wheels rather than 3. And you need a smartphone with the app.

[@dyslectische]

Again the Netherlands that have beult this. Small country can be great in.

[@KubikCv]

I can totally see Monty Pythons in this :D :D :D :D :D

[@SlartibartfastTheFourth]

😂😂😂😂

[@professormcclaine5738]

Citroen Ami mark 1.

[@succulent951]

nice gs too! but what is the oddity on the roadside at 1:21?!

[@Larry]

Renault Twizy as well!

[@nickwinn7812]

@@succulent951 A rubbish cart.

[@Hansen710]

that citroen is a huge truck compared to the dutch canta

[@clockworkninja884]

Dutch engineering, finest in the world.

[@fragglet]

Hard to believe that there are people so embarrassed by the idea of riding a bike that they'll invent something like this

[@TheInfiniteMiseryJumper]

SO far ahead of its time, but pretty much spot on!

[@jeroenvermiljoen]

Such a stylish gentleman.

[@dutchdude1972]

meanwhile in london 20 years later came with the 2stoke peel50 brilliant .....................

[@ronald3836]

I had to laugh when I heard "self-drive taxi" (as opposed to "self-driving taxi").

[@billiebleach7889]

Looks better than most modern EV’s

[@a0r0a7]

Electric scooters are now the equivalent, dangerous as well🙄

[@nolimitunlimitedinc5559]

This is still the most advanced to this day from this city.

[@tonyireland2234]

Is it a MK 1 Tesla ?

[@m00nkinftw]

Its funny cause now we have small black cars all over Amsterdam.

[@Kahsimiah]

Would have been great if these had caught on and set an example for many cities around the world. So many lost opportunities.

[@martinvho]

This was never a thing, not even 50 years ago. It was an advertising stunt for a newspaper Parool, written in big bold letters on the top. It was basically a chopped up golf-cart with a wood frame top, aimed to draw attention to the newspaper.

[@londo776]

That worked out very well

[@RoderikvanReekum]

No it did not.

[@krashd]

@@RoderikvanReekum It was good old British sarcasm.

[@ChorizoCentauri]

Eat your heart out, Mr. Bean.

[@shedontanks]

LOve driving these cars round Amsterdam, they're disused nowadays which makes it all the more exciting.

[@Satscape]

I don't live there, but I'm guessing it didn't take off...BUT everyone seems to have gone back to using push-bikes, afterall, why re-invent the wheel? 😉 I wish they'd fix things in the UK, they're renting E-bikes for so much it's cheaper to take the bus. Simple, cheap push-bikes would work better?

[@Hansen710]

google the dutch canta vehicle, and brommobiel it did take of to some extend the biggest problem with this model was with out a doubt sharring. i have a feeling there is alot more then 4000 cantas and alot more brommobiles then 4000

[@a1white]

Yes. Huge anti-car movement after lots of pedestrian deaths in the 1970’s saw all these streets redesigned to be people friendly rather than gridlocked with cars.

[@bartcox274]

the idea was good but needed to be redesigned. nowadays in the cities you can hire electric mopeds and bikes (near the railway station)

[@bradclooney69]

We have these nowadays, bit different design though. They are called Biro’s

[@flavio.portela]

A few years later we had Smart, years later electric cars and car sharing.

[@perge_music]

Mini pope mobiles. The public e-bikes you see now are a good idea even though some people moan about them.

[@andywatts8654]

They probably moan because Amsterdam gets cold And wet AF

[@mfbfreak]

@@andywatts8654 It's more like they congest the already congested bicycle racks in the city, or get parked in the most obnixious ways (though that problem is more about the mopeds/scooters than with the bicycles)

[@Hansen710]

dutch people moan about everything

[@douglasharley2440]

they didn't exist when i visited in 2006 (and i just searched, and apparently they didn't exist past 1986). lol, there were mad bicycles there though!...waaay more than shown here.

[@ronald3836]

The bicycle made a comeback some years after the video was recorded. Back then Dutch cities were not yet bicycle-friendly.

[@douglasharley2440]

@@ronald3836 thanks for the info! i *loved* the netherlands...it seemed to me the most "american" country i visited in europe (i.e., their pragmatism, and relatively lack of concern for traditionalism), though the dutch are much smarter than we are, as is evidenced by their move to bike friendliness.

[@Hansen710]

@@ronald3836 you mean before the citys bacame hostile to cars

[@Hansen710]

@@douglasharley2440 please dont tell us in europe we are like american its not a nice thing to say

[@ronald3836]

@@Hansen710 city centre should never have prioritised cars. It was a historical mistake that is slowly being corrected.

[@kieranwhite6647]

'Next week we're heavily into electric cars, basically in Amsterdam'

[@MrDavey2010]

Looks very unstable especially on uneven road or high winds!

[@smvsspould]

It looks it but if the battery is below the seats it'll have a really low centre of gravity.

[@Hansen710]

@@smvsspould so when the wind can pick up big festival tents this is a safe location.. riiight

[@brandywell44]

Tomorrows World pre Maggie Philbin was often interestingly good.

[@ZipperedRain]

Upload the high quality Harry Carpenter and Mike Tyson program about past heavyweight boxers. The one on KZbin is poor quality VHS transfer 😢

[@MrTamiya89]

I Would Buy One Of Those PORTABLE SHOWER MOBILE'S Over A Tesla Any Day. 😃👍.

[@sdc8547]

Combover man! I remember the fool well.

[@CyclingSteve]

"Amsterdam like every other city in the world is slowly being strangled by the motorcar" vs "London isn't Amsterdam". We can all convert to being a cycling city.

[@mockbattles]

A phone booth married with a milk float.

[@Lichtviech]

The "Homer" - now only in Amsterdam

[@SlartibartfastTheFourth]

😂😂😂

[@paulhenriquezopiniepaultje]

Those people were 50 years ahead of their time. Wonder what they would make now...

[@janschkeuditz6065]

At that time most of tge bicycles sold in the Netherlands were Raleigh or others and most of the buses were British Leyland. How Britain has changed since Thatcher .

[@S-Ltd1000]

So how is the mobile shitter experiment going?

[@nopenotme6369]

Sometimes “Futurism” doesn’t age well.

[@Porkcylinder]

No mention of the half hour range and 20 hour charge time

[@harenterberge2632]

Basically a car share avant la lettre.

[@a1white]

But what actually saved amsterdams streets from gridlock again? Not this ridiculous thing, but the Bicycle

[@SimBoy64]

Cave Johnson here,

[@cauto84]

and all we got is electric scooters

[@CricketEngland]

Wow that aged well

[@Uamaretwot]

50 years later and the identical business model is used for the e-scooter rental market throughout the world. Identical in it's general unpopularity as well, plus it seems a financially doomed business to be in too, which I assume these were.

[@LORK3301raw]

The original Biro! 😂

[@EbunVD]

biro be like

[@Rr0gu3_5uture]

A really good idea, executed extremely poorly.

[@andywatts8654]

It keeps you dry and warm., i don’t know why it has to look like That tho?!

[@ronholthuijsen667]

It was in the 70 ties

[@AtheistOrphan]

I guess design in the 1970s was a bit ‘out there’!

[@Larry]

Bit of quirkyness, but really to keep the weight down more than anything. I wouldn't say dry dry though, did you see the gaps in the door when he closed it?

[@andywatts8654]

@@Larry I mean much drier and warmer than the usual mode of transport these days -- the bike

[@ronald3836]

Probably what you end up with if you try to minimize floor area (for increased mobility in tight spaces).

[@dean1100110]

Good Idea wrong time

[@mw...]

The first Tesla

[@danielktdoranie]

The reporter looks a like a posh Earnest P. Worrell

[@TheKievKen]

William Woollard. He is a former fighter pilot and an excellent TV presenter. He fronted Top Gear throughout the 1980s. He’s in his 80s now.

[@jasonl4411.]

I was born in 1974

[@fredo1070]

A Bond villain's idea of the future.

[@KMCDM]

Toen was geluk nog heel gewoon..

[@callmesenorita6596]

tram with extra steps

[@therealavolpe]

NO TOURISTS!!!

[@timhinchcliffe5372]

I want to drive around in a blender!

[@SlartibartfastTheFourth]

😂😂😂😂

[@raphdroidt692]

En 50 jaar later reden de grachtengordelmeisjes en -jongens rond in de Biro

[@plasticbucket]

Flintstones.

[@grahamandrew907]

And I thought my dad's Daff 44 was the worst looking car ever.

[@oslikoslikoff1261]

And where they're? In 2024? .....

[@BenvanBroekhuijsen]

Now we just expelled the cars from the city center. We make the cities more and more car unfriendly. More bikes, more public transport, more working from home. Problem solved.

[@peterstudley1804]

Some lovely 70s continental cars are shown on here , no im not referring to the white porta-loo on wheels , looks similar to the things you take a dump in on the building site.😅

[@captainchaos3667]

What is a "continental car"?

[@peterstudley1804]

@captainchaos3667 back in the UK in the early/mid 1970s, foreign cars weren't as prevalent as they are now ,and any car built in mainland Europe like Germany, France, Holland, Sweden etc were known as continental cars as they came from continental Europe.