Qbuzz gaat samenwerken met beveiligers COA om overlast aan te pakken

EMMEN - Bus company Qbuzz will collaborate with security guards from the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) to address nuisance caused by young North African men, particularly on route 73 from Emmen to Ter Apel. According to Michel van der Mark of Qbuzz, the deployment of public transport stewards is insufficient to prevent incidents. "Public transport stewards try to ensure that everyone with a valid ticket boards the bus. We also want to deal with people who misbehave getting off. We are currently organizing this together with the COA." Asylum Seekers' Center Exit Stop Qbuzz wants to move the exit stop for route 73, among others, to a location on the grounds of the asylum seekers' center in Ter Apel. "If there are any incidents, we want to have people there to deal with them. The stop is currently out of sight. We are also trying to add a stop at the asylum seekers' center itself, because then they have a direct view. Currently, that's still a bit difficult." Problems not solved Together with other parties, such as Rijkswaterstaat (the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) and the municipalities, Qbuzz wants to implement the proposed measures more quickly. "It's an urgent problem, so I expect things to accelerate now." Van der Mark cautions that the problems are manageable, but not solved. "We have to assess every hour whether additional measures are needed. If other measures were taken at the political or national level, that would help."