Most Dutch tourists holidaying in the Gambia are expected to fly home this afternoon because of the state of emergency, broadcaster NOS reported on Wednesday. Former president Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia has refused to recognise the recent election results and on Monday declared a state of emergency in an attempt to block the inauguration of president-elect Adama Barrow which has been scheduled for Thursday. The Dutch foreign ministry has updated its foreign travel advice to essential travel only. Travel... More >

The Netherlands’ oldest motorway tunnel reopened on Monday morning after a nine-month renovation – and immediately triggered traffic jams on its first day. The Velsertunnel, which takes the A22 beneath the river IJ between IJmuiden and Beverwijk in Noord-Holland province, has been upgraded with new emergency sliproads, a digital management system and better ventilation. The height of the tunnel has also been increased by 12 centimetres, but despite this one lorry driver brought traffic to a standstill by trying to... More >

The mayor of Haarlemmermeer is to impose a temporary ban on taxi touts at Schiphol airport, reports the NOS broadcaster. He has also called for a permanent change to the taxi laws. For months, there has been a standoff at Schiphol, with certain taxi firms licensed by the airport to pick up passengers but others legally plying for work in the public plaza. In October, British singer Skin from the band Skunk Anansie criticised the airport for allowing travellers to... More >

The rail line between Groningen and Roodeschool has reopened after being shut by a collision between a train and a milk tanker on Friday afternoon. The Arriva train was derailed in the collision just outside the village of Winsum. Eighteen people were hurt, including the driver of the lorry. Eleven of the victims were taken to hospital but none suffered serious injuries. Recovery workers spent the weekend removing the train from the scene using a crane. The carriages needed to... More >

Driving licences could be available as a phone app in the next few years under plans proposed by the vehicle licensing service. Bas van den Berg, head of the driving licences unit at the RVW agency, said the technology for mobile licences was in development. ‘You’ll download an app from the store and the details of your driving licence will be stored in a secure manner,’ he said. The proposal came on the day when paper driving licences officially expired.... More >

Cyclists choose the most comfortable route over the quickest one, according to a study by Royal HaskoningDHV engineers and Eindhoven University of Technology. The Parool reports that cyclists choose their path dependent on the quality of the road surface and extent of hills, rather than going for the shortest distance. They would rather cycle for four more minutes than tackle a steep bridge or bumpy road, the study says. This flies in the face of conventional traffic modelling (and the... More >

Some train conductors are refusing to check tickets on Monday in protest at plans to cut the number of staff on double-decker trains. The FNV union is taking industrial action against the proposal to use one conductor rather than two, claiming it will compromise safety for staff and travellers. Instead of checking tickets, conductors are handing out leaflets asking passengers to support them. ‘Moreover, working on the trains is physically demanding,’ FNV spokesman Andries van der Berg told NOS. ‘It’s less strenuous... More >