The legal battle between carrier Trevvel and the municipality of Rotterdam has temporarily halted the tender for target group transport.
This creates uncertainty about the transport of vulnerable groups, including the elderly and children, from the summer of 2025. The current contract with Trevvel expires on 21 July 2025. With a ruling in the summary proceedings not until 10 February next year, the preparation time for a new carrier is seriously compromised.
According to Mirl de Bruin, CEO of Trevvel, at least six months are needed to prepare a new carrier for the daily logistics of thousands of passengers. This means that there will be enormous time pressure once the court has given its verdict. The suspended tender will then have to be restarted, a carrier will have to be selected and it will have to prepare for setting up an operational service.
In the summons, which is in the hands of the AD, Trevvel expresses her concerns about the short term. De Bruin emphasizes that the municipality must have a plan to prevent vulnerable children from being unable to go to school or elderly people from missing their daily care if no new carrier is operational by July 22, 2025.
The municipality of Rotterdam has temporarily halted the tender for target group transport after legal action by transport company Trevvel. The company, which in recent years has been responsible for the transport of vulnerable target groups such as the elderly, children and people with disabilities, has initiated summary proceedings. Trevvel claims that the conditions of the new tender are unrealistic and unreasonable. According to the company, the requirements are accompanied by a substantial cutback of millions of euros and additional obligations, including the renewal of the vehicle fleet.
The suspension of the tender directly affects the most vulnerable groups in Rotterdam. Thousands of children, many with special needs, depend on reliable transport to get to school. In addition, elderly people and people with disabilities use target group transport to reach day care or medical appointments, for example.
The legal step raises questions about the future of the contract and Trevvel's position within the Rotterdam transport landscape. The company has been facing criticism for its services for years and, according to some, has failed to meet its contractual obligations.
Legal battle over tender requirements
In the summary proceedings, Trevvel claims that the municipality has made unreasonable demands in the new tender. The conditions would not only lead to a financial loss, but would also be accompanied by operational uncertainties that, according to the company, would be difficult to achieve within the set period. The requirement to renew the fleet is seen by Trevvel as an additional obstacle, especially in a period in which the sector is dealing with rising costs and staff shortages.

The municipality of Rotterdam has indicated that the tender will be temporarily halted until the court has made a ruling. According to sources within the municipality, however, they continue to adhere to the importance of a transparent and fair tender procedure, in which quality and reliability are central.
The municipality of Rotterdam emphasizes that the service provision under the current contract with Trevvel will continue for the time being. At the same time, it is acknowledged that an alternative emergency solution will be needed if the tender process is delayed too much. Such a scenario would entail additional costs and organizational challenges, as it concerns large-scale logistics.
The municipality may have to consider a transitional arrangement if the new carrier is not ready in time. This could mean that Trevvel continues to provide its services temporarily, or that an emergency contract is concluded with another party. However, both options entail financial and organizational risks.

Organizing and implementing a large contract such as that for target group transport requires extensive preparation. Not only must vehicles and drivers be available, but also the logistical planning and communication with the users must be in order in time. If the tender is not resumed until February, the time is short to get everything operational before July 2025
Trevvel itself has come under fire several times in recent years for its poor service. Users have complained about taxis not showing up, difficult to reach customer service and long waiting times. This has led to public unrest and hard criticism from both the Rotterdam Ombudsman and the Children's Ombudsman. Especially the missing of school days by children and the unreliability of transport for the elderly were experienced as distressing.
The problems led to questions in the city council and extra supervision of Trevvel, but the company was nevertheless allowed to keep its contract. For this new tender, it is now being examined whether the municipality may take the previous problems into account when assessing new registrations.
check on registrations
Dutch procurement law allows governments to exclude companies from participating in a new procedure if there are serious errors in previous contracts. However, this exclusion must be well-founded and applied proportionately. Exclusion is not common for minor or incidental errors, but the situation may be different for structural problems such as Trevvel's.
Experts point out that shareholders of companies sometimes try to compete for a tender through a new entity. However, the law requires companies to be transparent about any relationships with other tendering parties. If such a connection is discovered and the aim turns out to be to circumvent previous problems, this can lead to exclusion or even legal consequences.
target group transport in Rotterdam
The future of target group transport in Rotterdam now depends on the court's ruling and the further course of the tender. If Trevvel succeeds in demonstrating that the requirements set are unreasonable, this could fundamentally change the tender. At the same time, the municipality will continue to assess whether the company is able to get its services in order and does not repeat previous mistakes.
For users of the target group transport, the uncertainty is worrying. However, the municipality emphasizes that the service will continue during the legal procedure and that the vulnerable target groups on whom the service is aimed will not be affected by the ongoing legal battle.
The current contract with Trevvel runs until July 21, 2025.