Yesterday, 18:26 • 2 minutes reading time
—
–
Bus operator Qbuzz is surprised that bus drivers will take action on Friday morning in Groningen and Drenthe. Drivers leave their buses in the depot between 05:00 and 08:00. It is expected that this will mainly affect travelers in East Groningen.
—
Qbuzz expects that the action will also lead to bus failures in Drenthe. The actions are being held by the trade union FNV, which wants to let security guards go along on bus lines 72 and 73. Those lines run along Ter Apel, where drivers have to deal with nuisance from asylum seekers from safe countries.
—
Shuttle bus running all day long
Michel van der Mark, Director of Market Development at Qbuzz, indicates that he has invited the FNV for a meeting on Thursday. “That invitation has been declined. They stick to the demands they have made before and ignore all conversations that are already underway.’
—
–
These discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Justice and Security, among others, says Van der Mark. ‘In it the proposal was made to run the special shuttle bus for asylum seekers (which runs between Emmen and the application center in Ter Apel, ed.) from early in the morning until late at night.’
—
Ministry has to pay
The bus now does not run in the morning rush hour and the bus is also stationary late at night.
—
‘As a result, asylum seekers sometimes have to spend the night at the station and want to take the first regular bus. Expanding the shuttle bus would be a very big first step that takes away a lot of the pain’, thinks Van der Mark.
—
Travelers are now being hindered by the action, while the point has already been made
–
As far as he is concerned, the ministry pays for the bus.
—
‘Action very annoying’
Van der Mark calls the action on Friday morning ‘extremely annoying’ for travelers. ‘They experience this as a nuisance, while the drivers and FNV have already made their point in the weekend of 3, 4 and 5 December.’ Then drivers drove past Ter Apel, without taking any passengers with them.
—
If it had been up to Van der Mark, it would have stayed with the actions. ‘The position is clear, it is being discussed in the House of Representatives. In addition, the State Secretary will visit us next week. We all want to pay attention to the problem, then it is not convenient to bam, to close the door and take action.’
— .
