Overview
- The provinces of Flevoland, Overijssel and Gelderland agreed on Thursday to end the IJssel‑Vecht concession on 7 July 2029 so services keep running without an emergency takeover.
- The provinces will provide undisclosed financial support through mid‑2029 to cover losses and avoid immediate disruption while most of the operator’s remaining losses stay with EBS.
- A joint Deloitte review identified staff shortages, late delivery of electric buses and insufficient local grid capacity as the main causes of EBS’s heavy cost overrun.
- EBS’s Israeli parent Egged must guarantee performance until July 2029 and the provinces retain enforcement tools such as fines and timetable reductions if EBS fails to meet obligations.
- After July 2029 the provinces will take over buses and charging assets with compensation for lost depreciation and will launch new tenders for services with Gelderland indicating it may run a separate Apeldoorn–Noord‑Veluwe concession.