Headlines August
Keolis loses contracts bus transport IJssel-Vecht permanently due to 'foul play'
Keolis has definitely lost bus transport in the IJssel-Vecht region. The provinces of Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel have decided. The thousands of signatures of Keolis staff, the flyer campaign of the works council and talks with the unions have not changed the province's view: Keolis has committed fraud and the province finds that unacceptable. The definitive loss of the concession means a significant financial blow to Keolis. The turnover value of ten years of bus transport in the IJssel-Vecht region, the area between northwestern Overijssel, Apeldoorn and Lelystad, is approximately 900 million euros. According to director Frank Janssen of the transport company, withdrawing the concession will cost around 260 jobs. Buses have also already been ordered and on their way from China.
'Acting with integrity'
But Deputy Bert Boerman believes that Keolis's fraudulent actions cannot go unpunished. "Acting with integrity and following the rules are basic principles," said the director. A view of Keolis did not change the decision.
Why then an emergency concession for Keolis?
Keolis will operate an emergency concession from December. The emergency concession lasts a maximum of two years. According to the commissioner, this is necessary "to stay as close as possible to the timetable as we had envisioned it."
The zero-emission buses that Keolis ordered can then be used. The fact that buses would no longer be running without an emergency concession is too short, but transport would have deteriorated for the traveler.
Employment opportunities
Deputy Boerman gives another reason for the emergency concession and that is employment, especially in this period when there is a lot of uncertainty and is coming our way due to the economic consequences of the corona crisis.
Conversations
A month ago, the province announced that it wanted to withdraw the permit . In recent weeks, various discussions have been held with the unions, the works council and with Keolis himself, who is strongly against the decision of the province. The bus company has already cleaned up its own house: an external investigation was launched and two directors, who were responsible for the fraud, were fired. All developments in recent weeks have not led to a different insight for the province. 'The provinces listened to the input of personnel, trade unions and travelers' organizations, among others. This is taken into account when setting up the emergency concession ', the province writes in a press release.
New concession
In the meantime, the losers of the IJssel-Vecht tender, which were Arriva, Connexxion and EBS, will have the opportunity to make another bid for the concession. There is also a good chance that the carriers will no longer submit their previous offer. After all, revenues from public transport have plummeted due to the corona crisis. This decline is expected to continue in the coming years. If the carriers no longer support their previous offer, a completely new tender will be issued. This will probably be more expensive for the province and therefore for the taxpayer, said Commissioner Boerman earlier. It is not yet clear whether Keolis may also participate in the new tender. That is still part of the investigation. The province wants the new concession to take effect in December 2022.
Keolis's response
Keolis has acted on the decision of the provinces. "We respect this decision, but will use the coming days to study the consequences," it wrote in a statement. The carrier also responds to the fact that it is allowed to drive the emergency concession. 'The provinces have indicated that this means that they deal responsibly with the interests of the personnel and that they use the equipment sustainably.'
Fraud at Keolis
Keolis has committed fraud in the tender for bus transport in the IJssel and Vecht region. This became clear in May, after an investigation by Follow The Money. Secret documents came available that the bus producers from China would not be fined for late delivery.
The province then started its own investigation and withdrew the concession at the beginning of July. Provincial Executive Boerman received the full support of the Overijssel members of Parliament.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/333926/Keolis-verliest-busvervoer-IJssel-Vecht-definitief-vanwege-vals-spel
Thousand hotel bookings canceled after RIVM error
The incorrect advice that the RIVM gave on Tuesday not to travel to Rotterdam has had major consequences. The Rotterdam Hotel Combinatie (RHC) says that it rained cancellations at the hotels immediately afterwards, despite the RIVM advice being rectified that same day. "By telephone and e-mail, roughly 1000 bookings for one or more nights in Rotterdam have been canceled. That amounts to a potential turnover of about € 175,000, if we include breakfast, dinner and other expenses. An expensive mistake" , let the RHC know.
The summer months are important for hotels to build up a buffer. The expectation is that the number of business bookings will lag behind in the autumn. "It went very well in July", says Roel Dusseldorp of the RHC. "August also looked good and all hotels put their best foot forward to make it a good summer. So this is very annoying." RIVM's mistake is not the only setback for the Rotterdam hotel industry. The negative Belgian travel advice has also led to many cancellations. Just like the reports about the duty to mask the mouth in the center of Rotterdam. In addition to the Rotterdam hotel sector, retailers, restaurants and, for example, organizers of outings are also feeling the consequences of the error, the RHC expects.
Source: https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/197857/Duizend-hotelboekingen-geannuleerd-na-fout-RIVM
No air traffic for hours at Eindhoven Airport for hours due to a sick employee at air traffic control
Due to a shortage of air traffic controllers at military air traffic control, it was not possible to fly at Eindhoven Airport this morning. According to a Defense spokesperson, someone is ill. Air traffic has now started up again, the Air Force expects to fly according to schedule around
Someone who waited this morning at Eindhoven Airport for his flight to Alicante tells the NOS that it is very busy at the airport, especially indoors. According to the traveler, there is an announcement to keep 1.5 meters away, but that is not possible because it is so busy. "We hear nothing and there is no enforcement," says the traveler. The airport had temporarily closed access to travelers. In the meantime, only travelers who have a quick turn for a flight are allowed in. Sixteen flights could not depart this morning. This caused some 1400 passengers to be delayed. Several flights have diverted to alternative airports this morning, such as Maastricht and Weeze in Germany. Departing passengers from three flights were taken to those two airports by buses. A flight from Transavia to Valencia has been canceled.
Reporting sick
According to an Air Force spokesperson, the air traffic controller's sick report came in early this morning. Because there are more sick people within military air traffic control, the staffing is not sufficient to deploy replacement. "There has been a capacity problem for some time now. Traffic control staffing is lower than it should be." It is not the first time that air traffic at Eindhoven Airport has been temporarily halted due to staff shortages at military air traffic control. Air traffic was halted four times during a weekend last December . According to the Ministry of Defense, the interruptions will take place in consultation with Eindhoven Airport and airlines that may be delayed. A major cause of the problems are absenteeism and a lack of air traffic controllers, which makes it difficult to replace the sick. Military air traffic control is not unmanned at these times, the shutdowns are intended to allow employees to take a break.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2343170-vliegverkeer-eindhoven-airport-urenlang-plat-door-zieke-bij-luchtverkeersleiding.html
Login names and passwords of more than 900 companies online available
The passwords of employees of at least nine hundred companies have been put online by hackers. The Ministry of Justice knew that companies were vulnerable, but did not intervene because this is legally impossible. A hacker recently put the login names and passwords of employees of at least nine hundred companies online. These data have also been disclosed for an unknown number of Dutch companies. The Ministry of Justice and Security had been warned in advance, but did not intervene because the companies are not 'vital', so this was not legally possible. That reports Het Financieele Dagblad Monday .
These include a subsidiary of the industry giant VDL, the data center company ITB2 and wholesaler Coen Bakker Deco, which makes Christmas decorations, among other things. Outside the Netherlands, the Spanish research institute CSIC, the German porcelain manufacturer Villeroy & Boch and the Luxembourg laboratory company Eurofins were affected. Before the information was shared online, several IT professionals at the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) of the Department of Justice and Security reported that hundreds of companies were vulnerable because they were using outdated software. The NCSC would have largely ignored this information, because the body only focuses on the central government and companies in 'vital sectors' such as banks and telecom companies.
Extension of mandate
When asked, a spokesman for the ministry says that the NCSC "has no authority to inform organizations that fall outside the legal mandate". An extension of that mandate would mean a change in the law and is therefore a 'political discussion'. In the FD , several IT experts argue for an extension of the mandate to also protect non-vital companies against cyber criminals. According to tech website ZDNet , the data was collected between June 24 and July 8 and published on a forum where many Russian hackers are active. The hacker would have exploited vulnerabilities in an old version of VPN software from security company Pulse Secure. It is not clear to what extent the data leak caused damage and what the hacker's goal was.
Source: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/08/17/inlognamen-en-wachtwoorden-ruim-900-bedrijven-geopenbaard-a4008979
Keolis has definitely lost bus transport in the IJssel-Vecht region. The provinces of Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel have decided. The thousands of signatures of Keolis staff, the flyer campaign of the works council and talks with the unions have not changed the province's view: Keolis has committed fraud and the province finds that unacceptable. The definitive loss of the concession means a significant financial blow to Keolis. The turnover value of ten years of bus transport in the IJssel-Vecht region, the area between northwestern Overijssel, Apeldoorn and Lelystad, is approximately 900 million euros. According to director Frank Janssen of the transport company, withdrawing the concession will cost around 260 jobs. Buses have also already been ordered and on their way from China.
'Acting with integrity'
But Deputy Bert Boerman believes that Keolis's fraudulent actions cannot go unpunished. "Acting with integrity and following the rules are basic principles," said the director. A view of Keolis did not change the decision.
Why then an emergency concession for Keolis?
Keolis will operate an emergency concession from December. The emergency concession lasts a maximum of two years. According to the commissioner, this is necessary "to stay as close as possible to the timetable as we had envisioned it."
The zero-emission buses that Keolis ordered can then be used. The fact that buses would no longer be running without an emergency concession is too short, but transport would have deteriorated for the traveler.
Employment opportunities
Deputy Boerman gives another reason for the emergency concession and that is employment, especially in this period when there is a lot of uncertainty and is coming our way due to the economic consequences of the corona crisis.
Conversations
A month ago, the province announced that it wanted to withdraw the permit . In recent weeks, various discussions have been held with the unions, the works council and with Keolis himself, who is strongly against the decision of the province. The bus company has already cleaned up its own house: an external investigation was launched and two directors, who were responsible for the fraud, were fired. All developments in recent weeks have not led to a different insight for the province. 'The provinces listened to the input of personnel, trade unions and travelers' organizations, among others. This is taken into account when setting up the emergency concession ', the province writes in a press release.
New concession
In the meantime, the losers of the IJssel-Vecht tender, which were Arriva, Connexxion and EBS, will have the opportunity to make another bid for the concession. There is also a good chance that the carriers will no longer submit their previous offer. After all, revenues from public transport have plummeted due to the corona crisis. This decline is expected to continue in the coming years. If the carriers no longer support their previous offer, a completely new tender will be issued. This will probably be more expensive for the province and therefore for the taxpayer, said Commissioner Boerman earlier. It is not yet clear whether Keolis may also participate in the new tender. That is still part of the investigation. The province wants the new concession to take effect in December 2022.
Keolis's response
Keolis has acted on the decision of the provinces. "We respect this decision, but will use the coming days to study the consequences," it wrote in a statement. The carrier also responds to the fact that it is allowed to drive the emergency concession. 'The provinces have indicated that this means that they deal responsibly with the interests of the personnel and that they use the equipment sustainably.'
Fraud at Keolis
Keolis has committed fraud in the tender for bus transport in the IJssel and Vecht region. This became clear in May, after an investigation by Follow The Money. Secret documents came available that the bus producers from China would not be fined for late delivery.
The province then started its own investigation and withdrew the concession at the beginning of July. Provincial Executive Boerman received the full support of the Overijssel members of Parliament.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/333926/Keolis-verliest-busvervoer-IJssel-Vecht-definitief-vanwege-vals-spel
Thousand hotel bookings canceled after RIVM error
The incorrect advice that the RIVM gave on Tuesday not to travel to Rotterdam has had major consequences. The Rotterdam Hotel Combinatie (RHC) says that it rained cancellations at the hotels immediately afterwards, despite the RIVM advice being rectified that same day. "By telephone and e-mail, roughly 1000 bookings for one or more nights in Rotterdam have been canceled. That amounts to a potential turnover of about € 175,000, if we include breakfast, dinner and other expenses. An expensive mistake" , let the RHC know.
The summer months are important for hotels to build up a buffer. The expectation is that the number of business bookings will lag behind in the autumn. "It went very well in July", says Roel Dusseldorp of the RHC. "August also looked good and all hotels put their best foot forward to make it a good summer. So this is very annoying." RIVM's mistake is not the only setback for the Rotterdam hotel industry. The negative Belgian travel advice has also led to many cancellations. Just like the reports about the duty to mask the mouth in the center of Rotterdam. In addition to the Rotterdam hotel sector, retailers, restaurants and, for example, organizers of outings are also feeling the consequences of the error, the RHC expects.
Source: https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/197857/Duizend-hotelboekingen-geannuleerd-na-fout-RIVM
No air traffic for hours at Eindhoven Airport for hours due to a sick employee at air traffic control
Due to a shortage of air traffic controllers at military air traffic control, it was not possible to fly at Eindhoven Airport this morning. According to a Defense spokesperson, someone is ill. Air traffic has now started up again, the Air Force expects to fly according to schedule around
Someone who waited this morning at Eindhoven Airport for his flight to Alicante tells the NOS that it is very busy at the airport, especially indoors. According to the traveler, there is an announcement to keep 1.5 meters away, but that is not possible because it is so busy. "We hear nothing and there is no enforcement," says the traveler. The airport had temporarily closed access to travelers. In the meantime, only travelers who have a quick turn for a flight are allowed in. Sixteen flights could not depart this morning. This caused some 1400 passengers to be delayed. Several flights have diverted to alternative airports this morning, such as Maastricht and Weeze in Germany. Departing passengers from three flights were taken to those two airports by buses. A flight from Transavia to Valencia has been canceled.
Reporting sick
According to an Air Force spokesperson, the air traffic controller's sick report came in early this morning. Because there are more sick people within military air traffic control, the staffing is not sufficient to deploy replacement. "There has been a capacity problem for some time now. Traffic control staffing is lower than it should be." It is not the first time that air traffic at Eindhoven Airport has been temporarily halted due to staff shortages at military air traffic control. Air traffic was halted four times during a weekend last December . According to the Ministry of Defense, the interruptions will take place in consultation with Eindhoven Airport and airlines that may be delayed. A major cause of the problems are absenteeism and a lack of air traffic controllers, which makes it difficult to replace the sick. Military air traffic control is not unmanned at these times, the shutdowns are intended to allow employees to take a break.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2343170-vliegverkeer-eindhoven-airport-urenlang-plat-door-zieke-bij-luchtverkeersleiding.html
Login names and passwords of more than 900 companies online available
The passwords of employees of at least nine hundred companies have been put online by hackers. The Ministry of Justice knew that companies were vulnerable, but did not intervene because this is legally impossible. A hacker recently put the login names and passwords of employees of at least nine hundred companies online. These data have also been disclosed for an unknown number of Dutch companies. The Ministry of Justice and Security had been warned in advance, but did not intervene because the companies are not 'vital', so this was not legally possible. That reports Het Financieele Dagblad Monday .
These include a subsidiary of the industry giant VDL, the data center company ITB2 and wholesaler Coen Bakker Deco, which makes Christmas decorations, among other things. Outside the Netherlands, the Spanish research institute CSIC, the German porcelain manufacturer Villeroy & Boch and the Luxembourg laboratory company Eurofins were affected. Before the information was shared online, several IT professionals at the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) of the Department of Justice and Security reported that hundreds of companies were vulnerable because they were using outdated software. The NCSC would have largely ignored this information, because the body only focuses on the central government and companies in 'vital sectors' such as banks and telecom companies.
Extension of mandate
When asked, a spokesman for the ministry says that the NCSC "has no authority to inform organizations that fall outside the legal mandate". An extension of that mandate would mean a change in the law and is therefore a 'political discussion'. In the FD , several IT experts argue for an extension of the mandate to also protect non-vital companies against cyber criminals. According to tech website ZDNet , the data was collected between June 24 and July 8 and published on a forum where many Russian hackers are active. The hacker would have exploited vulnerabilities in an old version of VPN software from security company Pulse Secure. It is not clear to what extent the data leak caused damage and what the hacker's goal was.
Source: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/08/17/inlognamen-en-wachtwoorden-ruim-900-bedrijven-geopenbaard-a4008979
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate