Public bus transport in Drenthe and Groningen has to cut back considerably. A deficit of 8.2 million euros threatens for next year. The provinces and the city of Groningen must again add extra money, otherwise they will have to cut even harder, which will mean that bus lines will disappear again.
The causes of the million shortfall: the number of travelers has still not returned to the level it was before the corona crisis. So there is less income. The price of electricity and biodiesel for the buses has also risen sharply since the war in the Ukraine. Just like the wages of the bus drivers. Finally, there is a high rate of absenteeism at Qbuzz and that also costs money.
But the help from The Hague for regional public transport (public transport) will also stop after corona. The indexation – how much extra provinces receive from the government for increased costs – is also lagging behind the actual cost increase.
The savings of 8.2 million euros can be achieved as follows: a reduction in the timetable of 2.5 million euros. Less frequent driving on the ‘big bus lines’. Not six, but four times an hour during rush hour on, for example, line 4 from Roden to ‘City’ and line 300 Emmen – Groningen. And fewer (rush-hour) journeys on a number of lines between Assen and Groningen.
The Public Transport Agency Groningen Drenthe also wants to ‘stretch’ the holiday timetables. Not six, but seven weeks during the summer holidays and a two-week Saturday timetable around Christmas, as well as a two-week holiday timetable, just like during the May holidays.
An amount of 3.5 million euros will come from the OV-Bureau’s own reserves to be put into the 2023 timetable. But this cannot go on for years, when the piggy bank of the OV-Bureau is empty, even harder blows will fall.
The provinces and the municipality of Groningen must make an additional contribution: 2.15 million euros more. If the provinces do not want this, there will be a hard blow in 2024 and lines will have to be canceled again, according to the OV Bureau.
The Provincial Executive of Drenthe does not want to scrap lines again, so they propose to the Provincial Council to add an extra 2.15 million euros together with the city and province of Groningen. Drenthe would then have to cough up more than 750,000 euros extra for 2024.
The college wants to go even further. In the cutbacks to the timetable that will be introduced anyway, line 20 Assen – Dieverbrug – Diever will also have to surrender journeys. From twice an hour to once an hour, during off-peak hours. The provincial government wants the Provincial Council to pay an extra 1.2 tonnes to maintain a half-hourly timetable for line 20.