Plans for a free bus service to the asylum reception centre in Ter Apel have been blocked by housing minister Mona Keijzer.

Operator Qbuzz had said last week it would set up a dedicated shuttle to Emmen because of concerns about safety on the regular line 73 service.

Staff said there had been several incidents of drivers and passengers being intimidated by residents at Ter Apel who tried to travel without paying.

The mayors of Emmen and Westerwolde, which includes Ter Apel, as well as the FNV union, had backed the free bus scheme in order to relieve the pressure on the regular bus service.

But on a visit to the village on Monday, Keijzer, who is one of three ministers responsible for asylum, said she wanted to step up enforcement measures and reduce the number of people at Ter Apel from low-risk countries, who are seen as the most disruptive.

“Buy a ticket”

“If you get on the bus in the Netherlands, you buy a ticket,” the minister from the farmers’ party BBB said. “I think if people misbehave, you shouldn’t give them things for free, but put an end to the misbehaviour. That’s what I’m doing.”

Keijzer said she would also take steps to redistribute refugees in Ter Apel to other parts of the country to ease the pressure on the region and allocate extra resources to the immigration police.

She also wants to put more enforcement officers on duty and make it easier for local businesses to claim compensation for damage or extra security measures.

Emmen’s mayor Eric van Oosterhout said he would “believe it when I see it” after speaking to Keijzer about her plans.

“We’ve heard these plans for the future before,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with this disruption for years and we made similar arrangements with [the previous asylum minister] Marjolein Faber. They need to be realised now. I hope we see these measures in the short term.”