Overview
- Gelderland, Flevoland and Overijssel agreed on 8 October 2026 to end the IJssel‑Vech t concession with EBS early, with the operator to continue service until 7 July 2029.
- The provinces will provide undisclosed temporary financial top‑ups to keep buses running but place most losses with EBS and require a guarantee from EBS’s Israeli parent, Egged.
- A Deloitte study commissioned by the provinces and EBS confirmed the contract is financially unsustainable because of operational problems tied to electrification and staffing.
- Key causes cited include limited local grid capacity that forces buses to detour to charge, extra non‑revenue kilometers, late or faulty electric buses taken over from the previous operator, and chronic driver shortages.
- Authorities rejected immediate termination to avoid service disruption and are preparing a new procurement for services from July 2029, with Gelderland planning a separate Apeldoorn–Noord‑Veluwe tender and financial details kept confidential.