GVB are utterly incompetent. The bus service they put on to replace the metro is severely overstretched, cramming too many people into not enough buses. They do this at the warmest time of the year, resulting in the buses feeling like saunas. Now after this news has emerged, heads should roll due to their chronic mismanagement.

By Dave | July 15, 2010 3:58 PM

Sounds like a social realism. Something of this kind was very common in USSR, in the end everyone expects to be paid, work is not done, because no one is there at the time and boss checks off the accomplishement time sheet showing growth and progress in all sectors!
What if there is a smallest tiniest link between bus driver's boss/shareholder and the contractors for tunnel works.
And shouldnt the tunnel workers' contracts have been signed first and only then send train drivers to the beach and arrange buses? Just a thought.

By Jimbo | July 15, 2010 4:10 PM

"The city's infrastructure and transport department is currently under investigation.."

By who? Seriously? Nobody will be fired, fined or reprimanded. Let us not pretend that there exists any form of oversight that won't ultimately be paid by the tax payers.

By Patrick | July 15, 2010 4:16 PM

At least it will re-open on time, hopefully, this summer.
Hopeless.

By B | July 15, 2010 4:23 PM

they should buy extra hard hats and offer walking tours through the tunnel for the period shut...make a feature of a mistake, charge for walks and encourage web publication. will become THE thing to do this summer!

By Steve | July 15, 2010 4:57 PM

It probably would have helped to list if all metro lines are affected and the dates of the affected 5 weeks! FYI: All lines are replaced by a shuttlebus from Saturday July 10 - Sunday August 15. Link for the official announcement:
http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/usefulinfo/Pages/summer2010.aspx

By JD | July 16, 2010 9:06 AM

Considering the utter idiocy and pure lack of business and organizational skills in the GVB, perhaps it is time to outsource this service to a foreign company that can actually manage and run it. If you were a tourist, spending a good bit of your vacation money to come here, and you arrive and the rijksmuseum, the subway and a large part of central station are all closed, plus the city is all torn open and a mess - would you bring your family here again? Think about it, because apparently the Dutch did not think about it. This is exactly why we do not hire Dutch people.

By Bill | July 16, 2010 9:18 AM

Of course the person(s) directly responsible have indefinite period contracts and work there for 20 years, so no real action will be taken in regards to internal accountabilty at the GVB and the problems just continue!

By Deb | July 16, 2010 11:16 AM

It says the train drivers are going on holiday .... who is going drive the trains from Amstel station then ? ....... or am I missing something ?

By Barry | July 16, 2010 12:03 PM

It is not only the GVB. The whole system is suffering from this virus. The always have a good excuse and stupid argument, when it comes to the general public.

By jerry | July 16, 2010 2:14 PM

If there is an issue with Fire Safety, serious enough to warrant closing the metro so it could be improved, then 'the money' will pale into insignificance when the inevitable underground tragedy occurs.

By osita | July 16, 2010 3:49 PM

But I bet all the forms were filled out properly... So long as all the correct forms are filled out I can't be held responsible...

Authoritarian Personality Disorder taken to the logical extreme. Who'd have thought a society could even approach this semblance of functioning under such a structure?

By Patrick | July 16, 2010 6:22 PM

Unbelieveable.

I lived in Ukraine for almost three years and I NEVER experienced a level of incompetence there as I have had to endure here in Amsterdam. The head of the GVB should be fired for failing to serve his customers and wasting such vast resources of money.

By Caycu | July 21, 2010 3:46 PM