A group of 220 objectioners from Emmen gets their taxi pass back. That is the outcome of an evaluation of the municipality.
The decision follows the confusion caused last year by withdrawing 1500 taxi passes in the municipality. The pass is intended for residents who cannot travel independently. In the summer of 2023, the municipality investigated its use.
As a result, 1500 inhabitants received a short note in October last year with the announcement that the pass was withdrawn. It led to unrest and hundreds of objections.
The performance of the municipality was labeled as abrupt and too rigorous. Not only pass holders but also the city council was of that opinion. The college then apologized and acknowledged that it had all been too short. The communication could also have been better.
As a result of all the fuss, alderman Guido Rink has again examined the state of affairs. Afterwards it could all have been a bit more careful, he acknowledges. “The passes were not in use for a long time. We therefore found a stopping justified. In retrospect there appeared to be a good reason for not using the pass. Such as illness or rehabilitation.”
In total, 300 pass holders objected. Of that number, the objection has been reversed of around 220 people.
The municipality sees room for improvements regarding the approach, according to Rink. The cooperation within the municipal organization was not well coordinated. The communication experienced as ‘chill’ can also be better, for example by looking for direct contact. Writing down 1500 people at once was not a good idea afterwards. It is better to do this in phases in the future, says the alderman.