On 10 July 2019, Minister van Nieuwenhuizen Wijbeng informed the House in a letter about the state of affairs regarding the admission of a new Stint to the road. On August 5, applications were received to designate three versions of a modified Stint as a special moped.
As a result of the applications, it asked the RDW to assess these applications. The RDW does not give positive advice. A further explanation of the advice can be found in the letter from the RDW, which I hereby send you, with the exception of the assessment report and the underlying test reports, given that these documents contain company confidential information.
What was the first authorization, also by the RDW, based on?
The vehicle has been significantly improved as a result of the revised Policy Rule, for example through the double mechanical brakes, the steering column with controls, the seat belts and the innovative legrest.
The tests carried out by the RDW show that the vehicle now complies with the policy rule on most main components (such as the brakes, steering and seat belts). The vehicle also complies with the TNO recommendations. However, there are still some outstanding points.
"As a result, no positive advice can be given."
The offered vehicle has ten seats. The policy rule allows a maximum of eight seats, or ten seats is not allowed. At your request, we have assessed all ten seats for strength, with positive results.
The maximum construction speed of one of the three assessed vehicles is 20 km / h. The RDW recommends limiting the maximum construction speed to 17 km / h, because evasion tests have shown that the vehicle shows a risk of tipping over at higher speeds and an unfavorable load (4-5 children on one side).
The mandatory risk assessment, provided by the manufacturer, lacks further substantiation for the absence of front and rear protective structures, as well as substantiation for the absence of a protective structure insertion.
The manufacturer is on the right track, but it is far from there.
The investigation of the manufacturer's quality system, which is separate from the assessment of the vehicle, has shown that one is on the right track. However, there are still ten open points that must be filled in before the system complies.
The manufacturer is on the right track, but has not yet been able to demonstrate on all requirements that the vehicle and the quality system comply. He has also indicated that he wants to make improvements that are separate from the requirements.
Minister of Nieuwenhuizen Wijbenga follows the advice of the RDW. The application to designate the offered versions of the Stint as a special moped will therefore not be honored.
This decision has been notified to the manufacturer. He indicated that he plans to submit a new application for a further modified version in the near future.
Childcare claims for damages.
Daycare centers are costly because their Stints are still not allowed on the road. Those costs are recovered from parents by the rates that go up. Some nurseries have also filed claims with the government and the Stint manufacturer.
Also read: Additional childcare costs due to delayed return Stint
