The planned cuts of 110 million euros in public transport threaten to seriously affect the livelihoods of thousands of bus drivers in major cities.
The FNV Stadsvervoer union is sounding the alarm and, together with transporters and passengers, presented a petition to the chairman of the House of Representatives' Infrastructure and Water Management Committee. The union fears that the cuts will not only cost jobs, but also increase the workload and put pressure on the safety and quality of public transport.
The petition, which was presented on Tuesday, should send a strong signal to politicians: the plans are unacceptable according to FNV and the transport sector. A debate will take place in the House committee on Thursday 20 February, with an expected attendance of 60 to 80 bus drivers to follow the discussion closely. According to Eric Vermeulen, director at FNV Stadsvervoer, it is unacceptable that the government is cutting back on public transport, while thousands of people depend on it. “It is unacceptable that the government is leaving bus drivers out in the cold. These cuts not only affect our members, but also the passengers who depend on reliable and safe public transport,” says Vermeulen.
In addition to the threat of job losses, the union fears that the workload for the remaining drivers will become unsustainable. Fewer buses means that the remaining journeys will become busier, the timetables tighter and the break times tighter. This can lead to unsafe situations, both for drivers and passengers.
FNV is combative and says that actions are not ruled out if the cuts go ahead. Vermeulen emphasizes that the union and the drivers will not accept without a fight that the costs are passed on to their shoulders. "We will not simply accept that the government places the bill for the cuts on the people who have to do the work. If this decision is passed, we will not hesitate to take action."
The discussion about the future of public transport and the position of drivers is far from settled. With the petition and their presence at the debate, those involved hope to shake up politics and persuade them to change course. There is a lot at stake for drivers and passengers: their jobs and a safe and reliable public transport network.
