Due to work in the center of Amsterdam, buses from Zaanstreek-Waterland have not run to the central station for more than a year. All travelers have to get off in Amsterdam North and that causes a lot of stress this morning.
“It was quite chaotic at Edam bus station,” says a woman at North bus station. “It was unclear when the bus came and when the bus drove. There are many buses, but you don’t know yet what time it runs.”
The bus passenger is disappointed that she now has an extra transfer in North. “Normally I get off at Central Station, so this takes some getting used to.”
A man from Purmerend also had to take a closer look this morning. “It was a bit of a shock. I normally take line 309 and it was no longer on the sign. I now found out that from now on I have to take bus line 272.”
No Connexxion buses
It also takes some getting used to in Zaanstad, because Connexxion buses no longer travel through the Zaan region. These have all been taken over by bus operator EBS. “The drivers are enthusiastic in the Zaan region. We largely still drive with the well-known fleet, in other words the Connexxion buses that we have re-stickered,” says Kaj Mook of EBS.
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EBS has taken over 150 drivers from Connexxion and that is desperately needed, because the carrier is struggling with a huge staff shortage. Recently, buses have increasingly been canceled or did not arrive on time because there were not enough drivers. The municipality of Waterland even threatened with a fine because EBS did not keep to the agreements.
The intention is for all buses to run fully electric. Those buses are not yet available. EBS hopes that the entire fleet in Zaanstreek-Waterland will go electric before the summer.