The proposal by SGP, ChristenUnie, CDA, SP and BBB to make the Westerscheldetunnel toll-free for passenger cars and motorcycles from 2015 has been supported by all MPs. The toll in the Westerscheldetunnel has been an eyesore for years. Politicians do not think it is right that the Zeelanders have to pay a hefty amount for every ride through the tunnel.

The Westerscheldetunnel provides a smooth connection between Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Zuid-Beveland. A quick and safe ride through the tunnel will take you to the other side of the Westerschelde in no time. People in Zeeland are reacting enthusiastically, although the costs will still have to be negotiated. The Westerscheldetunnel was bought by the province of Zeeland from Het Rijk in 2008. 

ferry

At the turn of the century, Zeeland was faced with a choice: build a toll tunnel or pay for a ferry for hours on end. It was a situation comparable to the construction of the Zeeland Bridge. There, too, a toll guard sat on the bridge for a while. The toll is required to pay for the tunnel. The construction cost 750 million euros and management and maintenance also cost a lot of money. A large part of that money is recovered with the toll. As soon as the tunnel would be paid off, the idea was to stop the toll collection. Until then, they keep the rates as low as possible.

The tunnel is operated by a company, but the province is the sole shareholder. About 80 people work at NV Westerscheldetunnel, 53 of whom have permanent contracts. The majority are toll collectors (the employees at the cash register). You can also think of operators (who monitor the tunnel 24/7), tunnel guards (who help you in the event of a breakdown), maintenance experts, but also a business management department consisting of IT, finance and HR and a communication department.