Zuid-Holland threatens to reduce payments to transport company Qbuzz due to poor service

The province of Zuid-Holland is considering reducing the money given to transport company Qbuzz for bus transport in the northern part of the province. The province feels that the number of bus trips being canceled is too high. Zuid-Holland’s transport commissioner, Fredrik Zevenbergen, has been considering imposing a fine on Qbuzz for some time and is now also considering "partially suspending" the monthly operating contribution.

The transport commissioner wrote this in a letter to the Provincial Council, who will debate Qbuzz’s chaotic start in the Zuid-Holland Noord public transport area on Wednesday.

Qbuzz took over the bus transport from Arriva midway through December for cities like Alphen aan de Rijn, Gouda, Leiden, and Katwijk. Qbuzz was forced to improvise with diesel buses and touring buses after orders of electric buses were not delivered on time. This has led to many canceled bus rides and buses that did not arrive on time.

Zevenbergen has described the current situation as “untenable” and wants a plan of improvement from Qbuzz by next Monday. This must include a plan for how the transport company will ensure that less than one percent of the rides are canceled.

The province reported that 7.5 percent of the trips were canceled at the start of this week, despite the fact that Qbuzz had promised to have their services in order by January 27.

In principle, Zuid-Holland will pay 46.9 million euros to Qbuzz this year, although that fee can change based on national index numbers. The province pays an advance payment halfway through each month, but Zevenbergen wants to suspend part of this if there is no "substantial improvement" in the short term. "The province, and therefore our residents, should not have to pay for services that are not delivered," according to the commissioner.

Qbuzz claims that the issues are mostly related to the delay in deliveries of electric buses and the old vehicles that are now being used for the rides. However, Zevenbergen has his doubts. “The issue of not using enough drivers seems to be the biggest reason for the regular cancelations.”

The general manager of Qbuzz, Annemarie Zuidberg, apologized to the province on Wednesday for the chaotic month. “For many people, the public transport is unreliable at this time. I give my sincerest apologies on behalf of Qbuzz for this,” Zuidberg said. “That people are sometimes literally left waiting in the cold has led to stories that affect us deeply. I am literally lying awake because of this.”

Zuidberg explained some of the reasons for the issues by Qbuzz. "Making public transport more sustainable requires a lot from the entire sector, also due to the complexity of rules and laws.”

According to her, the new Environmental Act means it takes longer to obtain permits, including for intended new bus depots in Leiden and Gouda. Also, due to a full power grid (grid congestion) in almost all of Zuid-Holland, it is not possible to get a stronger electricity connection at some existing depots. "No power means that zero-emission buses cannot charge and drive at that location," according to the director.