Travel Archives - Page 4 of 7

Afsluitdijk blocked for several hours after bridge fails to close

Traffic on the Afsluitdijk was held up for several hours on Monday after a bridge failed to close. Long queues built up on the A7 motorway that runs over the dike heading from Friesland to Noord-Holland after the bridge at Den Oever jammed at around midday. Traffic flowing in the opposite direction was unhindered. Engineers are on the scene but it is not clear how long it will take to fix the problem. The ANWB has advised drivers heading out... More >

More realistic emission tests trigger steep rise in car purchase tax

Several models of car are set to become more expensive in the Netherlands after new environmental impact tests showed they emitted more CO2 than previously thought. The new tests were introduced after it emerged that manufacturers such as Volkswagen and BMW were using software to manipulate the results of their emissions checks on a massive scale. Like its predecessor, the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Procedure is a laboratory test, but imposes more ‘real-life’ conditions such as temperature and tyre... More >

More heavy snow likely to cause rush-hour chaos on Monday afternoon

Weather forecasters are warning of more disruption on the roads and railways on Monday afternoon as a fresh band of snow sweeps in from the south. On Sunday KLM cancelled 282 flights from Schiphol and the motoring organisation ANWB reported dozens of accidents on snowbound motorways. One driver died in hospital after his car collided with a train near Velp. A further 122 flights have been cancelled to European destinations on Monday afternoon as a precaution, a KLM spokesman told... More >

Amsterdam Central Station closes ticket barriers

From Monday Amsterdam Central Station’s main concourse will only be accessible to people with a valid travel card. The move is part of a wider NS strategy to improve safety and stop people travelling without paying the fare. Until now the ticket barriers have been open, meaning people can pass through without a ticket or OV chipcard. Rail operator NS has been closing the gates at main stations across the country such as Rotterdam and Utrecht over the past year.... More >

MPs back plan to make texting while driving a criminal offence

Sending text messages and apps from behind the wheel is likely to become a criminal offence after a majority of MPs said they backed a change in the law. The government wants to class using a mobile phone screen at the wheel as ‘reckless behaviour’ equivalent to driving under the influence of drink and drugs, leading to a driving ban and prison sentences for the worst offenders. Texting while driving is banned but not explicitly cited in the law, and... More >

The white elephant in your passport: EU borders have never checked a fingerprint

Eight years since European citizens were first required to include a fingerprint scan in their passports, the technology has never been used to check a passenger crossing a border, according to a Dutch media investigation. Compulsory fingerprinting was introduced in 2009 across the European Union as part of the new biometric passport, which was intended to improve border security. The measure aimed to stop ‘lookalike fraud’, whereby somebody travels on the passport of someone who strongly resembles them. Dutch local... More >

Two killed in head-on collision on A73 in Limburg

Two people have died in a collision involving a car travelling the wrong way on the A73 in Limburg. The head-on crash happened at about 10.30pm on Sunday on the southbound carriageway, at the entrance to the Roertunnel. The drivers of both cars were killed. 1Limburg reported that one of the vehicles had been filmed driving against the traffic nine kilometres further up the road a few minutes earlier, near the Maasbracht junction, with its lights flashing. The motorway was... More >

DutchNews podcast – The Unfortunate Train Name Edition – Week 44

This week’s podcast has a transport theme as a judge calls time on Amsterdam’s beer bikes, the Anne Frank Foundation cries foul on Germany’s national rail operator and Russia has a hissy fit over air cargo slots at Schiphol. We also tackle the mystery of the cat that travelled 150km to a Belgian town with an appropriate name. In our discussion we analyse the two-day debate in Parliament to welcome the new Dutch government. Top story Government ‘will ignore result... More >

DutchNews podcast – The Shoes That Should Be Sterilised Edition – Week 43

In this week’s we give you the lowdown on who’s who in the new Dutch government and find out why the health minister’s shoes made a splash at the swearing-in ceremony. Others to make a splash this week were the protester who disrupted a dolphin show in Japan and the students who came up with a novel way to stop green roofs leaking. In sport, we find out why Max Verstappen is still angry about being pushed off the podium... More >

Chipcard operator launches fast-track refund procedure

Public transport users will find it easier to reclaim the balance on their OV travelcards from today thanks to a change in the refund procedure. Operator Travelink has introduced online and phone hotlines so that holders of anonymous blue chipcards can arrange for the money to be paid into their bank account. Until now anonymous cards were only refunded if the owner filled in a form. Junior infrastructure minister Sharon Dijksma ordered the company to simplify the system so that passengers were not left out... More >

Schoolchildren urged not to jump level crossings as train services increase

Rail network operator ProRail has written to 250 schools located near a main railway line urging pupils not to take chances on level crossings. The number of trains between Amsterdam and Eindhoven has been increased to six per hour on Wednesdays, meaning crossings will be shut more often. ProRail is concerned that children cycling to school in the morning may get frustrated and try to jump over the crossing when the barriers are down. The company has written to schools in towns including Boxtel,... More >