The safety of drivers and travelers in Qbuzz buses has never been at risk due to a faulty communication system. This is what State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management said in response to parliamentary questions from the SP.
The party asked questions in response to a survey by the FNV trade union. According to FNV, safety was at stake because, in the event of a failing communication system, the control room cannot be contacted quickly during incidents.
State Secretary Heijnen says that she has been in contact with Qbuzz and the Groningen Drenthe public transport agency. “The emergency button that guarantees safety has worked at all times.” According to her, there are no security risks associated with the communication system that Qbuzz uses. The union has now also recognized this, says Heijnen.
The union said that the communication system – the so-called IVU box – often breaks down and that it takes a ‘very long time’ to start up. 97 percent of drivers indicate in the FNV survey that the system is not functioning properly. “Modern buses have several systems on board that must be started at the start of the service. Only the payment system occasionally has to deal with a longer start-up time. This is a different system than the IVU box,” said the State Secretary.
The glitches in that payment system have led to delays in ‘a small number’ of journeys. Qbuzz has informed State Secretary Heijnen that it is making improvements in this regard.