
Taxi and healthcare transport

INTERIOR
Crown Princess Amalia steals the show: festive mood despite sensitive day in Den Bosch
The celebration of King's Day 2025 went off without any notable incidents and King Willem-Alexander can look back on a festive birthday. This year's official celebration took place in Doetinchem, the unofficial capital of the Achterhoek, where the royal family was enthusiastically…
Cabinet Climate Note: RAI Association sees bright spots but calls for more concrete plans
The cabinet presented its new Climate Note today, which, according to the RAI Association, brings some promising signals for the future of sustainable mobility. Although the association emphasizes that the plans are far from complete, it acknowledges that…
Road tax is being overhauled: government now calculates on square meters
Road tax in the Netherlands is about to change drastically. The government plans to completely overhaul the motor vehicle tax system. Where the weight of a car currently determines how much tax there is…
New traffic rule announced: license plate required for E-step and BSO bus
On 1 July 2025, an important step will be taken in the regulation of Dutch traffic: from that date, special mopeds, including electric scooters, will be required to have a license plate. This measure should ensure more clarity on the road…
Orange fever: NS expects record crowds on the railways during King's Day
The Netherlands is preparing for an exuberant celebration of King's Day and King's Night, with festivities that will spread across the country on April 25 and 26. The NS is responding to this with an extensive so-called Orange Service Schedule.
Bank was allowed to refuse credit: Supreme Court agrees with Rabobank in OAD case
On April 11, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in a protracted case between Stichting Administratiekantoor OAD Groep Holding and Rabobank regarding the controversial bankruptcy of the former travel giant OAD.
BPM increase: tax measure drives up prices of electric buses by up to 30.000 euros
The announcement of a substantial BPM increase on zero-emission wheelchair buses is causing a stir in the healthcare and taxi transport sector. While the government is focusing on sustainability with fiscal measures, an essential target group is in danger of becoming the victim of the new rules.
Municipality of Doetinchem and RVD in consultation: funeral of Pope Francis on King's Day
While the Netherlands prepares for the celebration of King's Day in Doetinchem, worldwide news from Vatican City overshadows the festive preparations. Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, 2025 at the age of 88 as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage in combination with…
No words but women: Wheels network takes podium and place
A striking number of women in one photo. That is what you see when you look at the 'Wall of [W]heelies', the online business card of the women's network [W]heels. What started with a phone call from Monique Verhoef to a conference organizer grew in a few years…
Shelter: Minister Faber turns off the gas tap for central catering
Minister Marjolein Faber of Asylum and Migration has announced a series of drastic changes to Dutch asylum policy. In an official letter to Parliament, she proposes a further austerity of asylum reception, with cost savings and personal responsibility of asylum seekers as central themes.

ABROAD
Unions continue actions: rail strike causes chaos on the railways again
The Belgian railways are once again groaning under the pressure of a national strike. For the 21st time this year, railway staff are on strike, to the great frustration of thousands of commuters who are once again having to look for alternative means of transport. The strike…
Tragedy: Call for ban on tourist flights after fatal incident
A tragic accident over the Hudson River in New York has claimed the lives of six people, including a prominent Spanish businessman and his young family. The victims, originally from Barcelona, were on board a helicopter that crashed into the…
Meloni bets on diplomatic success: wine and cars victims of Trump's tariffs
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to Washington on April 17 for a key meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. During this official working visit, Meloni plans to negotiate the elimination of trade tariffs that have strained economic relations between the United States and…
Motorists benefit: dollar decline and recession fears push oil prices down
The maximum price of petrol will drop to its lowest level in months tomorrow, and that has surprisingly everything to do with recent decisions by US President Donald Trump. His decision to impose hefty import duties has had a global impact…
Stock markets plummet as US slashes global trade with new tariffs
The United States this morning imposed a universal 10 percent tariff on goods entering the country from abroad. The new tariff is on top of existing customs duties and is causing global turmoil, with stock markets suffering heavy losses…
Online shopping: how Ghent, Pontevedra and New York beat the competition
Where web shops seem to set the tone in the modern retail landscape, cities worldwide are succeeding in reviving their shopping streets. Not by adding more parking spaces or shopping centres, but by doing the exact opposite: banning cars, giving pedestrians more space…
Strike paralyses economy: flights cancelled, trains not running and ports closed
The announced general strike on Monday threatens to disrupt economic and social life in Belgium on a large scale. Technology federation Agoria warns in a press release that the action will only cause further damage to companies and employees who are already…
MIVB surprised by incident: passengers escape with fright after loose wagons in metro
During the busy evening rush hour on Wednesday evening, a metro train of the Brussels public transport company MIVB unexpectedly came apart. Two carriages of a metro train that was travelling between the Elisabeth and Ribaucourt stops, on lines 2 and 6, suddenly came apart from…
Unions organize national strike day as economic concerns grow
On Monday 31 March 2025, Belgium will be confronted with a national strike day, organised by the unions ABVV and ACV. This action is a protest against the austerity measures of the federal government.
Amnesty over: new visa rules for tourists in Dubai
Dubai has recently stepped up its efforts to crack down on tourist visa violations. Residents and visitors to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are urged to adhere strictly to visa requirements to avoid hefty fines and possible deportation.