Zuid-Holland sees no safety risks in Chinese buses despite cyber concerns

Zuid-Holland authorities say they have no safety concerns regarding Chinese buses running in the province. Frederik Zevenbergen, the provincial official responsible for public transport, was questioned on the matter by parties including Forum voor Democratie, after reports surfaced that Chinese manufacturer Yutong can remotely access the digital systems of its electric buses in Europe.

“The driver inside the bus is the only one who can control steering, acceleration, and braking,” Zevenbergen stated. In the Leiden area, transport operator Qbuzz currently runs 50 Yutong buses, with over 60 more Chinese buses set to join the fleet in the coming weeks.

Norwegian transport operator Ruter recently carried out research and found that Yutong is able to install software updates on any of its buses. “In theory, this could allow the manufacturer to disable or make a bus inoperable,” Ruter noted. The findings sparked media coverage implying that the buses might be remotely controlled by the Chinese company.

Zevenbergen, who reached out to Qbuzz directly, clarified that the situation is different. “A moving bus cannot be remotely controlled or stopped. Updating the software is possible, but the Norwegian authorities have already reviewed it and found nothing unusual in the software.”

Zuid-Holland has requested that the Ministry of Infrastructure consider this in its ongoing investigation into the cyber risks associated with electric vehicles.

While various political parties have voiced worries, Zevenbergen says there is no cause for alarm. “Yutong is a publicly traded company producing more than 50,000 buses annually. If a serious flaw were discovered in their software, the company would quickly lose business, and no one would buy their buses. We need to bring some balance and perspective back into this discussion.”