Children under 12 to travel for free on public transport from 2027
A major change is coming to Dutch public transport. From the year 2027, children aged 4 to 11 will be able to travel for free by train, bus, tram, and metro. This applies to the whole of the Netherlands. There is one important condition: the children must travel together with an adult.
Currently, parents often still have to pay for a ticket for their children, even though there are sometimes discounts. With this new plan, the government wants to make it easier and cheaper for families to use public transport. The goal is for more people to leave their cars at home and choose the train or the bus.
Alongside the good news for children, there is also less positive news for the elderly. The automatic discount for people over the age of 65 is set to disappear. Currently, seniors often still receive a significant discount on the bus, tram, and metro. From 2027, they will have to pay the normal price, unless they purchase a special subscription.
The changes are part of a new system for paying for public transport. The transport companies and the government want to make the rules simpler. They hope that this will make the system clearer for all travelers in the Netherlands.
Although the plan does not begin until 2027, it is already being widely discussed. For families, it is a major financial benefit, but for many elderly people, it means that traveling will actually become more expensive. In the coming years, more information will be released regarding exactly how travelers can make use of the new rules.