Cultural Enrichment on Public Transportation in the Netherlands

I’ve reported in the past about the unpleasant antics of asylum seekers in the Netherlands on buses and trains. The “youths” tend to become violent when asked to produce a ticket, so the government attempted to solve the problem by setting up a special free bus service reserved exclusively for culture-enrichers. According to the following news report, the youngsters failed to avail themselves of the opportunity, so the bus line was shut down. Now the trouble has started again, prompting the transportation agencies to demand government intervention.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from RTV Oost:

Transport companies pull emergency brake due to asylum-seekers

The transport companies Arriva and Dutch Railways are urging the government to take action. According to the companies, residents of asylum centers are causing trouble and endangering the safety of railway workers.

It has especially been a problem in recent months in and around the Zwolle station. The carriers fear that the nuisance will become an increasingly bigger problem if the authorities take no action.

Trouble from the asylum-seekers from so-called “safe countries” has been a problem for some time primarily concentrated on the Emmen-Zwolle track line . To get rid of the nuisance on the trains, a bus line was subsequently opened specially for refugees from “safe countries” that can be used to reach the asylum center in Ter Apel. There is no need to buy a ticket on that line.

Special bus line canceled

But the special bus line was hardly used, Arriva reports: “The bus ran three times a day from Zwolle to Ter Apel. An average of 5-7 passengers per day made use of this bus, spread over the three trips. There were also days in which there were no passengers. Because there was little to no use, in consultation with the Justice and Security Ministry, the municipality of Emmen and Arriva decided to cancel it.”

No ticket

In itself a logical decision, Arriva believes. But both transport companies reproach the government for not first taking new measures. Now people again have to take the train and must be in possession of a ticket.

“What we see is that often people from the asylum center have no ticket and are stuck at the station at Zwolle. If they are approached, situations can arise that can become ugly,” says Leonie Bosselaar, from Dutch Railways.

This often results in spitting and name-calling, but it can also get further out of hand. According to Dutch Railways and Arriva, the lack of such a train ticket or the money to buy it is mainly the problem. “As carriers, one has to deal with it, and our appeal to the government is to intervene.”

Government must provide a solution quickly

The carriers want the government to provide a solution “up front”. Bosselaar: “Then we can prevent annoyance to other passengers on the train and at the station.”

According to spokesperson Bosselaar, it is a societal problem, in which not only the carriers, but the police, for example, have to get involved.

Arriva reports: “Insults, intimidation, spitting incidents: our personnel are regularly exposed to this here. Something has to be done about this. This is a societal problem which we feel must be solved by the government.”

2 thoughts on “Cultural Enrichment on Public Transportation in the Netherlands

  1. They should pass some weed out to the replacements err I mean comrades but make sure it is an Indica based strain and not Sativa.
    Read that the Ontario government in CCP rump vassal North Colony or Canada lost $42 million dollars selling cannabis in 2019-2020.
    Locally seeing an increase in tribal garb unity collectivists with multiple children
    holding up the entire store while swiping their EBT [state issued debit card] with glaring at traditional Americans and not speaking a word of English.

  2. I recommend the dutch authorities to go back to the policies of the 70 ies:
    for parking violations ( for lack of a quarter or two for the parkmeter) they had the public prosecutor here in Germany involved ( I am not kidding), cost you the fee for translation of the document, plus fees for the cross border paper avalanche. So you were at the whim of your local law enforcement and those were not amused. So, dutch lawmakers: switch riding without ticket from misdemeanor to crime, then you have it. And the vendors of pot can carry on unmolested!

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