One of the concrete points that Teeven wants to tackle is the reopening of bus lanes for coaches. In the past, these vehicles were allowed to use bus lanes, but these days they are often reserved for regular buses.
Fred Teeven, who will become the new chairman of Royal Dutch Transport (KNV) on 1 December, talks enthusiastically about his upcoming role at the trade association. KNV represents a diverse group of transporters, including taxi and coach companies, healthcare transporters, and to a limited extent also public transport. Teeven sees his position as an independent role, which means that he has no interest in specific companies or organisations, but is committed to the entire sector.
Former State Secretary Fred Teeven recently closed a remarkable chapter: his time as a bus driver at transport company Connexxion. The adventure that once started as a short break after his political career, grew into seven years behind the wheel. "It was actually just like those seven years before," Teeven tells about his last ride to Jurgen van den Berg, presenter of NPO Radio 1. “It's still fun to drive a large vehicle.”
Teeven started his work at Connexxion after a turbulent political career and found peace and simplicity in driving a bus. It turned out to be a special way to get in touch with people, far away from the political arena. In the first months, passengers wanted selfies with the famous former politician en masse. That enthusiasm waned over the years, but the appreciation for his work remained.
last ride without ceremony
Teeven's last ride took place on a quiet Sunday, without any special festivities. "My wife happened to be on that ride from Amsterdam-Zuid. We got off together at Haarlem Station, and then we drove to the depot," says Teeven. It was not until a day later that he received a bouquet of flowers from Connexxion at home. For Teeven, his wife was actually the last passenger, "a bit clandestinely," he adds with a laugh.
With his characteristic sobriety, Teeven said that, despite a few fans, there was no big farewell party. In an interview with Van den Berg, he revealed that the decision to quit was partly due to his new position as chairman of Royal Dutch Transport (KNV), the trade association for taxi transport, public transport and coaches, among other things. "As an independent chairman, it is no longer appropriate to be employed by Connexxion," he explains.
As a bus driver, Teeven also became acquainted with traditions within the world of public transport, such as the so-called 'bus waving'.
This greeting of colleagues on oncoming buses is a fixed ritual. “In the first years I just raised my hand, but later it was more of a nod,” he says. The waving turned out to be not only a collegial gesture, but also a small distraction during his shifts.
Teeven clearly enjoyed the contact with passengers. Driving a bus brought him into contact with people from all walks of life on a daily basis. “You hear all sorts of things, from people who want to see you back in politics to people who are actually glad you’re out of there.” One of his passengers, a critic of his political days, even refused to get in once when he saw that Teeven was the driver. “I just closed the doors,” he laughs.
The Hague politics
The switch from politics to bus driver came as a surprise to many in 2017. Teeven, who previously served as a state secretary, decided to take time to reflect after leaving politics. “I just didn’t want any hassle for a while,” he said. After a short intermezzo in which he set up his own company, he chose to drive a bus as a distraction and a moment of reflection.
Still, he admitted that the experience on the bus provided useful skills, also for his previous position in The Hague. “On that bus you learn to take a hit. If it gets unfriendly, you don’t lose any sleep over it,” he says, a trait he believes also came in handy as a public prosecutor.
political ambitions
Although Teeven regularly received comments on the bus about a possible political return, those ambitions are definitely a thing of the past. When asked by Van den Berg whether he had ever wanted to become prime minister, he answers jokingly: "If I were 67 and they asked, I probably wouldn't say no." But the position remains a hypothetical idea for now, and his future lies outside of politics for the time being.
With his upcoming chairmanship of KNV, Teeven expects to work towards more efficient transport, especially in sparsely populated areas. “In the countryside, it is better to have small buses on demand than to have large, empty buses driving around,” he says. He also hopes to be able to advocate for the reopening of bus lanes for coaches, which were previously allowed to drive on these lanes.
double whisk
In addition to his new position at KNV, Teeven has recently become chairman of the NZH Transport Museum, where he occasionally gets behind the wheel of the classic city buses. “That’s double-clutching,” he says enthusiastically about driving these old models, where shifting is a lot less smooth than with modern buses. During events such as the Kids Night in Haarlem, he transports children in these historic vehicles, something he visibly enjoys.
With his departure from Connexxion, a period of seven years comes to an end in which Teeven chose a surprising, but for many sympathetic path outside of politics. "It was nice," he concludes, with the modesty that characterized his second career. For the time being, he continues to drive, now no longer in the service of Connexxion, but as a volunteer in a role that pays tribute to the bus as an iconic means of transport.
With his arrival as chairman, Teeven expects to add a fresh perspective and practical approach to KNV. He understands both the daily practice of drivers and the complexity of policy issues through his experience in politics.
Fred Teeven, who will become the new chairman of Royal Dutch Transport (KNV) on 1 December, talks enthusiastically about his upcoming role at the trade association. KNV represents a diverse group of transporters, including taxi and coach companies, healthcare transporters, and to a limited extent also public transport. Teeven sees his position as an independent role, which means that he has no interest in specific companies or organisations, but is committed to the entire sector.
more customer-oriented
One of the main challenges facing KNV is to make the transport offer more efficient and customer-oriented, especially in sparsely populated areas. Teeven emphasizes that it is not effective to have large, empty buses driving in the countryside, as he often experienced during his time as a bus driver. According to Teeven, customized transport, for example by means of small buses on demand, would be a better solution. He believes that the industry must adapt to the wishes of the customer and respond better to changing needs.
In addition, the sector is dealing with staff shortages and tight budgets, especially in healthcare transport, where demand and customer expectations are increasing. Teeven understands that transport companies are under pressure due to the high demands from tenders and the increasing complexity of personnel policy. In this, he hopes to play a mediating and supporting role as chairman, in which he can represent the voice of the transporters to the government and other parties involved.
bus lanes
One of the concrete points that Teeven wants to tackle is the reopening of bus lanes for coaches. In the past, these vehicles were allowed to use bus lanes, but these days they are often reserved for regular buses. Teeven sees this as an opportunity to make traffic more efficient for coach companies, who often encounter delays due to lack of access to such lanes. He hopes that KNV can build a bridge between transport companies and policymakers in this.
Teeven sees his role at KNV as comparable to his chairmanship at the Dutch Brewers, where he also holds an independent chairmanship. He describes this position as “of everyone and of no one,” which means that he stands up for the general interests without direct ties to individual members. This independent chairmanship allows him to take a neutral position and at the same time lobby effectively for the sector.
