The ILT has taken an important step with the start of the Second Practical Test for the Central Taxi Transport Database, but the connection of ICT service providers is proceeding more slowly than planned.
The Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has reached an important milestone in the context of the Realization Variant BCT (RVB) program. Last week, the first ICT service provider was successfully connected to the Central Taxi Transport Database (CDT), marking the official start of the Second Practical Test marks. This is a crucial step in the preparation for the renewed supervision of taxi transport in the Netherlands.
The ILT's technical preparations for this practical test had already been completed since 1 August, but it was only last week that a first set of data on working and rest times was delivered. This delay appears to have been caused by the fact that the ICT service providers that participated in the First Practical Test were not automatically transferred to the Second Practical Test. Each company must go through the connection process again, which may be the reason for the slow start of this phase.
Second Practical Test
The aim of the Second Practical Test is to determine whether the ILT is ready to use the CDT and integrate its management into the renewed information chain for taxi supervision. This test must demonstrate that the technology and processes surrounding supervision function well and are representative of the final situation when the system is fully operational. Both the inspection process, which is carried out by the ILT, and the connection of ICT service providers and the associated management processes are examined in this test.
Over the past week, the technology company neon, one of the participating ICT service providers, successfully connected the first taxis to the CDT. This happened shortly after a successful audit by the ILT, which shows that the basic infrastructure of the database is robust enough to take on the practical test. However, despite the official start of the Second Practical Test on August 1, only a few companies are fully operational. This delays the full implementation of the renewed system.
Arnold Leemans, project and program manager of the Central Taxi Database, announced via his social media that it is expected that more ICT service providers will be connected in the coming weeks. “We expect that several hundred taxi drivers will soon be driving 'on CDT',” said Leemans. He emphasized that the connection of ICT partners is essential for the further rollout and that connecting taxis to the database is a delicate matter to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.
Despite the slow start, ILT has extended the period of the Second Practical Test until 31 March 2025. This phase was originally intended to be completed on 31 December 2024, but the extension provides additional time to address any technical and procedural challenges. It also gives ICT service providers the space to get their systems fully operational before the database is fully put into use.
The Central Taxi Transport Database is an important pillar in the new supervision of the Dutch taxi sector. The database enables the ILT to gain real-time insight into the working and rest times of drivers, a crucial aspect of the supervision of the sector. This is intended to improve safety and working conditions within the taxi sector and to prevent unfair competition due to violations of regulations.
startup problems
The initial problems with the introduction of this new system show how complex the implementation of such a project is. Integrating different systems, each with their own technical specifications and management processes, requires careful planning and execution. Nevertheless, the ILT seems determined to make the implementation of the Central Taxi Database a success. With the extension of the test period, all parties involved hope to have the time to remove the last obstacles and prepare the taxi sector for a future with stricter supervision and better compliance with regulations.
