Inspection: electric vans Bringo have to be taken off the road

Bringo electric passenger vans must be removed from public roads, says the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). These electric shuttle buses have been driving for years in various municipalities, including Vaassen, Deventer, Hilversum and Beilen, reports radio program BNR on Thursday.

The vans, which can accommodate up to fourteen people, do not meet the safety requirements for use on public roads. The RDW (National Road Traffic Agency) cannot inspect the vans due to a European directive. For that reason they cannot get a license plate and without a license plate a vehicle is not allowed on the road. The vans can reach around 20 kilometers per hour and can be used as a shuttle bus in amusement and holiday parks or zoos.

‘Tolerated’

Earlier, the ILT would have formally ‘tolerated’ the vans, BNR states on the basis of an internal memo from that body from 2017. “It is not considered desirable to act further repressive for the time being,” BNR quotes. “It is politically sensitive, partly because municipalities are involved, among other things. In addition, the use of electric ‘green’ vehicles is a social (environmental) issue. ”

The Inspectorate denies that there has been a change in policy. “In 2017, there was a very different situation, now we see more initiatives coming,” said an ILT spokesperson. “They are not allowed on the road. They are not registered. No approval has been issued for this type of vehicle. ” According to the ILT, the Bringo cannot be approved for public roads. “The manufacturer must already take this into account during production.”

Elderly transport

The municipality of Zutphen also thought that the use of the vans was tolerated. Zutphen and the province of Gelderland provided subsidies for an electric shuttle bus for the elderly. This initiative was supposed to start on Thursday but was canceled at the last minute when it appeared that the ILT and the police would still be enforcing. The organization calls the message “like thunder in clear skies”.

The municipality calls it “very unfortunate”. “We have a fairly difficult center and this van can reach HEMA. The transport was intended for elderly people who are lonely, who have had to spend a lot of time indoors, ”says a spokesman for the municipality of Zutphen. Passengers reacted enthusiastically to a test drive.

“For us, safety is paramount,” says the ILT. “If you want to go on public roads, you have to comply with European and Dutch regulations.” In addition to the Road Traffic Act, which prescribes that a vehicle must be approved, the Passenger Transport Act also applies. A driver who transports people must have a special driver’s license for this.

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