Public transport in several Dutch cities will come to a standstill on Wednesday, April 2 at 2pm, as GVB, HTM, RET, Connexxion and EBS protest public transport budget cuts. Buses, metros and trams will be stopped for 110 seconds as a reference to the 110 million euros in cutbacks planned by the government.
Dutch public transport carriers protest against budget cuts
In a joint statement, GVB, HTM, RET, Connexxion and EBS together with the Amsterdam Transport Region (VRA) and Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region (MRDH), urged the government to reverse the plans to cut 110 million euros in subsidies that support public transport operators in 2026.
As motivation, the public transport carriers are halting buses, metros and trams, including those in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, for 110 seconds at 2pm when the House of Representatives is set to debate the accessibility of the Netherlands. “These government cuts will bring public transport to a standstill,” said the organisations in the statement. “That is why there will be no buses, metros or trams for 110 seconds during the start of the debate on accessibility. This is a clear signal to politicians: this is serious.”
If the planned budget cuts go ahead, travellers using public transport can expect to see not only sharp ticket price hikes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, among other cities, but also timetable cuts.
Further actions by Dutch public transport companies on the table
“There are almost two million check-ins every day. We want to prevent travellers from being left out in the cold from 2026 onwards. The accessibility of jobs, healthcare, education and recreation is at stake. Housing projects are also at risk because there is no money to make them easily accessible by public transport,” the statement continued. A petition against the cutbacks was signed by nearly 40.000 people earlier this year.
The government has previously stated that they agree with the carriers and transport regions on the importance of good accessibility for the country, including the three largest Dutch cities as well as small and medium-sized villages and towns located nearby. "We count on the government to deliver what it has always promised: good accessibility and reliable and affordable public transport," said the organisations. "If that does not happen, more actions will follow."
The government will discuss the Spring Memorandum - where the government makes adjustments to the national budget - in the next few weeks, and the transport carriers hope that during the debate, the planned cuts will be scrapped.
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