Free public transport for children trial in The Hague to begin next week
Children up to 11 years old in The Hague are able to use any of the company HTM’s public transport for free. Parents can apply for a special OV chip card for their child from age 4 to 11, Omroep West reported. The project is a trial that will run until the end of 2026.
“With this trial, we want to ensure that children can travel to their sports or friends more easily. We hope that their parents and them will see public transport as an attractive and accessible alternative,” said Alderman for Traffic Arjen Kapteijns.
The municipality of The Hague has, as a goal, that applications for free OV chip cards will be sent to 30 percent of the children in the city. Parents can apply for the cards from Monday, March 17. They also hope to see an increase in travel via public transport as a result of the trial.
“We are looking forward to seeing the results of the trial. If it is successful, then we will look into extending free public transport for children,” said Kapteijns.
The project, called “Kids voor Niks” was meant to begin in the summer of 2024. But it took longer than expected to build the digital platform needed for the trial.
Parents need a DigiD account, their child’s BSN number, and a digital photo of the child. They will then receive the card in the mail around a week and a half later. It can be used as soon as it is received.
