Rotterdam is on the eve of a new tender for target group transport, with which vulnerable groups such as pupils, the elderly and people with disabilities are transported to and from their destination every day.
After years of experience with the current contract, which was executed by Trevvel, the municipality has come to the conclusion that a stricter purchasing strategy is necessary. The experiences with Trevvel, which regularly received negative press due to complaints and incidents, weigh heavily in the conditions and requirements that the municipality now sets for the next contract period. With this new tender, the municipality of Rotterdam hopes to structurally improve not only the quality, but especially the reliability of transport.
guideline for new tender
In recent years, Trevvel, as the operator of Rotterdam’s target group transport, has been confronted with complaints and incidents on several occasions. These complaints ranged from taxis arriving too late to the complete absence of rides, which resulted in children missing school and the elderly being unable to keep their appointments. In addition, Trevvel’s customer service was difficult to reach, according to many users, which made solving problems even more difficult. Incidents such as children getting “lost” during their ride or refusing to help a 90-year-old passenger, who eventually fell and suffered injuries, have reinforced the call for improvements in the service.
Due to the years of complaints about the implementation by Trevvel, the municipality has come to the conclusion that the original agreements in the contract were “not strict enough” to guarantee the desired quality. Rotterdam wants to prevent a recurrence of this problem and is therefore tightening the requirements considerably. The new tender is intended to professionalize the target group transport and make the service more stable, so that incidents such as those in the past can be prevented.
contract with strict requirements
In the new procurement strategy, Rotterdam has decided to award the contract to one party again. Although this choice seems efficient, it also raises criticism from the local transport sector. Several Rotterdam taxi companies have expressed their concerns that the focus on one large transporter will reduce diversity in the sector and that smaller companies will not get a chance to contribute to target group transport. Trevvel was the only responsible party in recent years, and although this increased clarity for the municipality, the risks turned out to be great when the quality left much to be desired.
In order to guarantee quality, Rotterdam is now imposing stricter conditions on the new carrier. The focus is on high standards of reliability and communication, points on which Trevvel has often fallen short in the past. In addition, interested parties must demonstrate that they can act quickly and effectively in the event of problems, a lesson that has emerged specifically from the experiences with Trevvel. They must also be able to meet emission requirements that are in line with the city's sustainability goals. The aim is to use as many zero-emission vehicles as possible for target group transport, which fits within Rotterdam's broader environmental policy.
interested companies
In the new tender, the municipality not only wants to solve problems, but also wants to prevent staff from being affected by the change when changing carriers. That is why the Social Fund Mobility monitor compliance of the Transfer of Undertaking Personnel Transport (OPOV) scheme. This ensures that drivers can keep their jobs under comparable employment conditions, even if a new carrier is appointed. This scheme is intended to provide stability to the staff, who in the current situation sometimes had to deal with uncertainty and work pressure due to the problems at Trevvel.
In addition, the municipality requires potential carriers to strictly adhere to the legal framework as laid down in the Public Procurement Act and the Public Procurement Decree. By including clear rules and conditions, the municipality wants to limit the risk of conflicts, such as those that occurred in the current contract, as much as possible. This new tender, which will start in July 2025, has led to critical reactions, especially from local taxi companies that are keen to commit to the transport of vulnerable groups in the city.
Local companies represented by Partners in Mobility (PiM) express their concerns about the municipality's decision to award the entire contract to a single party. Local taxi companies fear that by choosing one large carrier, they will be excluded from the target group transport, despite their knowledge of the Rotterdam area and years of experience. These companies have indicated that they want to contribute to an improvement of the quality and reliability of the transport and hope that the municipality will give them a chance to be part of the new scheme.
lessons from the past
The decision to once again opt for one large carrier has led to concerns within the Rotterdam taxi sector. Many local companies indicate that they would like to play a role in target group transport and state that a diversified approach may work better. Proponents of this approach emphasize that multiple parties can offer more flexibility and involvement at a local level, which means that problems can be addressed more quickly. By placing all responsibility with one party, as was the case with Trevvel, there is a risk that a failed contract will have far-reaching consequences for users.
However, the municipality seems to be sticking to its desire for overview and control in its choice for a single party. Alderman Maarten Struijvenberg previously indicated that the municipality of Rotterdam wants to take steps to attract a more reliable transport partner that can respond to the previous problems. "We have learned from the past and will carefully monitor that this tender meets the expectations of the municipality and the needs of our vulnerable residents," says Struijvenberg.
a reliable carrier
With a starting date of July 21, 2025, Rotterdam hopes to make a fresh start. Interested companies must not only prove themselves in terms of punctuality and safety, but also show that they take communication with customers seriously. Trevvel's years of problems have damaged confidence in target group transport, and the municipality is determined to break this trend.
Despite the criticism from the sector and the experiences from the past, Rotterdam continues to stick to a single contract for target group transport, in the hope that with the right agreements a new service provider will meet the requirements. Whether this will actually lead to the desired stability and reliability will depend on the choices of the municipality and the willingness of the new party to adhere to strict conditions.
