Rotterdam city executive scraps free bus, tram and metro for all AOW pensioners
Rotterdam is still ending free public transport for state pensioners as a group, but the municipality says those on the lowest incomes will keep free off-peak travel in 2027.
Rotterdam's city executive is ending free bus, tram and metro travel for all pensioners on the state pension (AOW). The municipality says those with an income of up to 110% of the statutory social minimum will keep free off-peak travel in 2027, under agreements it made with transport company RET.
Pensioners with a higher income, even a slightly higher one, will have to pay for their journeys from next year.
The city's executive (the college) says free travel for everyone on the state pension is too expensive. In its words, "the costs will nearly double in the coming years" because of higher fares and an ageing population, and weigh ever more heavily on the municipal budget.
The municipality will pay RET a contribution of about €3m for the arrangement. The money comes from the poverty budget of alderman Miriam Harika (PRO). It had been set aside to raise the yearly AOW credit on the city benefits card, the Rotterdampas, from €475 by about €190.
Harika, who is responsible for work and income, said she is glad the arrangement stays for some older people.
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AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet)
The AOW is the Dutch state pension, a basic old-age pension paid by the government to people who have reached the statutory pension age. It is based on years of living or working in the Netherlands and is separate from any pension built up through an employer. In this context, "AOW" refers to people who receive this state pension, which is the group a Dutch municipality or transport benefit may be tied to.
Rotterdampas
The Rotterdampas is a card issued by the City of Rotterdam to residents on a low income, such as people receiving municipal benefits. It holds a yearly credit that can be spent on participation costs like sport, culture, leisure and school-related activities. It matters because it is the city's main way of helping lower-income households take part in social and cultural life.