Line 48 has not been running in and around Havelte for five years, but residents of the area still miss the bus line. It looks like their prayers are being answered as line 48 is about to return. But that still requires some volunteers.
The bus line was canceled in 2021 during corona times by the Groningen Drenthe public transport agency as part of a cutback package. The bus was not used enough, which was reason to cancel the line.
Recently, during a residents’ evening about facilities in the village of Darp, it became apparent that people longed for line 48 again. Darp was one of the villages through which the bus line passed. One of the initiators behind the rebirth of the bus line, Sydneij van den Berg, started working after this signal. “You do it for the residents of the village, because they indicate that they want the bus back.”
Van den Berg says that the reintroduction of the bus line is quite a puzzle. “Such a 22-meter bus is not realistic for the number of people who will get on it. That is why we want to do it with a neighborhood bus, which has now been arranged with sponsorship.” But just a bus and sponsorship will not transport people.
For the transport of passengers, Van den Berg is still looking for 25 volunteers who want to be amateur bus drivers in their spare time. The beginning has already begun. “Two people have already registered spontaneously. On December 10 we will organize another evening for interested parties in Havelte, where we hope to meet many people who are interested in this project.”
No complicated diplomas or certificates are required for the role of bus driver, a driving license B is sufficient. “We will be running a daytime service, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The bus will run from Steenwijk to Havelte and will pass Havelterberg, Darp and the Johannes Post Barracks in Havelte, among others.”
For the latter destination, the return of line 48 could be even more interesting, should soldiers start using the bus. “We initially focused on transport for residents of the village. Imagine that thirty Defense personnel have to be transported, that is not going to work in this van. So we want to have discussions with Defense to discuss possible peak times.”
The plan is for the bus to make trips on this route again around next summer.