Qbuzz will shrink as a result of the corona crisis, and that raises the necessary questions among MPs as the company made use of the Temporary Emergency Bridging Measure for Employment (NOW) and received the availability compensation. The temporary staff was fired and now Qbuzz wants to cut even more jobs.
In the NOVB, State Secretary van Veldhoven is in discussion with transporters and fellow authorities about the developments in public transport and the measures that can be taken to guarantee its continuity in the current circumstances. With an availability fee for public transport for 2020, the government has decided to support the public transport sector in order to be able to continue to offer the required transport offer.
Nevertheless, it is understood that companies nevertheless anticipate lagging passenger numbers for the coming years and adjust their timetables and operations accordingly. The extent to which they do this depends on the course of the pandemic and its effect on travel behavior and any restrictive measures taken by the government. imposed.
"Fortunately, the advice to make only necessary journeys has been properly followed, so that public transport remains available in a safe way for everyone who has to rely on it. The availability fee has largely compensated for the decrease in travelers.“, Said Stientje van Veldhoven in a letter to the Member of Parliament Laçin (SP).
The Secretary of State emphasizes that companies could not foresee that these exceptional circumstances would occur.
"The business operations of any company cannot cope with this, regardless of whether it is a commercial company or a state holding."
Recently, van Veldhoven sent the House an investigation into the Effects of public procurement in public transport. This study shows that public transport offerings, efficiency and customer satisfaction have grown across the board over the past two decades.
Also read: Dash cams in Qbuzz buses in Drenthe and Groningen
