The province of Zeeland will have a new bus carrier from the end of 2026 and guarantees high quality.
The Israeli-Dutch company EBS has won the concession and is taking over from Connexxion. According to deputy Harry van der Maas, the choice for EBS is based on a better price-quality ratio than that of Arriva, the only other bidder for the tender.
However, the award to EBS raises questions, as the carrier has been under fire in recent years due to complaints about the service provision in other provinces. In Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel, among others, there were problems with the reliability of the timetable and the technical condition of the buses. In Overijssel, politicians even expressed their concerns about the safety of the buses, which, among other things, were said to have too long a braking distance.
improvements and new buses
According to EBS director Wilko Mol, the problems have now been solved and travelers in Zeeland do not have to worry. "We have learned a lot from the start-up problems in other provinces and will be driving a new fleet of buses in Zeeland from day one. This means that travelers can count on reliable and comfortable rides," says Mol.
EBS is strongly committed to sustainability and promises that a large proportion of journeys will be electrically operated at the start of the concession. The carrier also guarantees sufficient charging locations, so that the buses do not come to a standstill due to an empty battery. Prior to the tender, the province of Zeeland had drawn up strict requirements in the area of sustainability and reliability.
Connexxion, which currently still provides bus transport in Zeeland, had not re-registered for the concession. Parent company Transdev indicated that it could not agree to the province's plans to drastically change public transport in the short term. The province wants to switch to a more flexible and finely meshed public transport system, something that Transdev could not agree to.
For the award of the concession the province weighed both the price and the quality of the bids. Quality counted for 60% and the price for 40%. EBS managed to score better on both points than Arriva.
The province set requirements for punctuality, reducing trip cancellations and improving connections between bus lines. In addition, applicants had to show how they would involve Zeeland SMEs in bus transport. Staff satisfaction and bus accessibility were also taken into account.
collaboration with EBS
Provincial Executive Harry van der Maas is positive about the new partnership and expects EBS to be a good partner for the next twelve years. “I am extremely happy that we have found a new carrier that is prepared to invest in Zeeland. EBS will offer comfortable, sustainable and accessible transport, making it attractive for more people to take the bus,” says Van der Maas.
He emphasizes that reliability and personnel policy are important spearheads within the concession. “EBS has made an extra effort to prevent service cancellations and delays. In addition, they have shown that they want to treat their personnel well and that satisfaction is a top priority. This gives me confidence that public transport in Zeeland is in good hands.”
With the twelve-year concession, EBS will have ample time to show that it can deliver on the promised improvements. From December 2026, Zeelanders will be able to experience whether the new carrier really means progress compared to current bus transport.
