Due to overlapping holidays, there was no permanence for the Chiron mailbox in recent days.
If you want to communicate with Chiron about technical failures in recent weeks, you must have a lot of patience. For entrepreneurs waiting for a connection, it was almost impossible to realize it. Chiron is the central journey database for individually paid passenger transport of the Flemish government. At the end of August there was a long-term outage - acknowledged by Chiron - but in the aftermath of that many are still waiting for an answer and connection. Due to overlapping holidays, there was no permanence for the Chiron mailbox in recent days. As a result, it was not possible to answer immediately.
It is indeed true that there was a technical breakdown at Chiron recently, more specifically between August 24 (19.30:25 pm) and August 11.15 (XNUMX:XNUMX am). During that period no taxi rides could be forwarded.
Arys informs our editors in a written response that taxi operators no longer have to forward those rides to Chiron. “It is to date the first and only time that this has happened. We have done everything we can to resolve this outage as quickly as possible.” The cause was an underlying software application. Naturally, they examine internally within the organization, together with the IT services, how this could have happened and what lessons they can learn from this so that this does not happen again in the future. Another point for attention is how communication to users can be improved if this happens again in the future.
According to the spokesperson for Team Chiron, there was communication about this with the 'direct questioners', and a statement was also distributed to the general public. The spokesperson did indicate that he would monitor the mailbox for the next 2 weeks and handle it daily.
communication
Our internal investigation shows that there was no communication at all with all direct questioners. Our editorial team was also looking for a spokesperson who could answer questions for days. Last week we received an email from the Flemish Government, Agentschap Binnenlands Bestuur, with a message in which we were referred to the free information number of the Flemish government, formerly known as the Flemish Infoline. It is the first point of contact for citizens, companies and organizations for questions to the Flemish government.
Because this is not the answer we were looking for, we left a personal message in the mailbox of the Communications Team of the Department of Mobility & Public Works. We received a response to our questions almost immediately.
"We are not aware of other structural (technical) problems related to the registration process. If there are things that do not work properly or that could be improved, they can of course be reported to the mailbox chiron@mow.vlaanderen.be The feedback from our partners is very valuable and can help us to improve things. When taxi companies have difficulties connecting with Chiron, we always ask that you contact us and the colleagues will discuss with them what the possible reason is and help them to fix the connection. Usually connection problems can be solved within a short period of time."
It remains difficult for us to explain that there is no permanent monitoring of the technical government system Chiron and questions about technical problems remained unanswered. “Unfortunately, it is indeed true that the mailbox has not been monitored as well in recent weeks. We would like to apologize for that. Users should not be allowed to leave their questions unanswered." says Aries.
police
The police themselves determine the way of enforcement in terms of frequency, severity and sanctions. During a taxi check, all obligations that taxi drivers must comply with can be checked. This includes the permit, driver's pass, equipment/software, service status and the ticket. The link with Chiron is also such an obligation.
"We do not organize the supervision of compliance with the taxi regulations ourselves, nor do we give orders to the police services."
If during a police check it appears that operators do not comply with the technical connection and the reason for this is of a technical nature (and therefore beyond their own ability), operators may ask the police to contact the Department of Mobility & Public Works. MOW will then be able to confirm whether a technical problem is the cause.
asked questions
In addition, the question remains whether there is insight into how and when it will again be possible to connect taxi companies in the production environment. Companies that must be connected to the official website of the Flemish Government advised calling on a programmer or software supplier to set up the connection with Chiron.
backlog
The problems come at a time when many backlogs have to be cleared. The fact that the connections are now becoming urgent is also due to the fact that a larger number of police zones use the access to Chiron. This means that the chance of being caught with fines and temporarily withholding the permit is greater, and that encourages people to switch to a connection more quickly.
Previously, there was a lot of criticism about the lingering backlog, especially the information about it. Questions were raised from the sector about the complexity of the connection process and the overly technical manual. So a lot of work has been done on that. This spring a modified starter guide put online. It can be consulted by everyone.
what is chiron
Chiron is the central journey database for individually paid passenger transport of the Flemish government. The journey data KBO number, driver pass, rounded GPS coordinates of departure and end points and the price that the customer pays must be sent live to Chiron. If there is a price agreement, a reservation message must also be sent. This obligation applies to all journeys carried out by operators with an individual paid passenger transport licence.
Flanders
Since January 1, 2020, there is a distinction between a street taxi and a stand taxi. A street taxi is a taxi that you order via an app available on the market, of your choice, where a price has also been agreed before departure. The operator determines its own rates, which you agree to when you give your approval via the app. You can also pay via a mobile app.
You can find a stand taxi at taxi stands near busy places such as a train station or an airport. Stand taxis are recognizable by the taxi light and, unlike the street taxi, still work with a taximeter. The rates of the stand taxis can be determined by the municipality.
You do not need a diploma to become a taxi driver or VVB driver. You must have a certificate of medical screening, which means that you are considered suitable by an occupational physician to start working as a professional driver
