How the relay became a political issue

What began September 20th with a terrible accident is a political game six weeks later. On a railway crossing at Oss, an electric car collided with a train. Four children died, a fifth and an early childhood employee were seriously injured.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. It could have been both a technical and a human error. However, the vehicle, which has become popular with child protection agencies since its launch in 2012, has received a lot of attention. De Stint has proven to be a good alternative to cars and vans for transporting young children between school and the reception venue.

Until the Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Office of Infrastructure and Water, VVD) decides to temporarily ban the relay. Since then, this decision has been the subject of much criticism. The opposition parties accuse the minister of having used erroneous grounds to justify the ban and of having wrongly informed the House of Representatives. The court ruled Thursday that the suspension was allowed despite the problems it entailed for child custody.

1 How was the relay allowed on the road at the time?

Van Nieuwenhuizen did not need a lot of time to ban it. His predecessor, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, did not need much time to leave the Stint. This is the result of the new legislation introduced to enable innovative vehicles to be easier. In addition to the European type approval, the Minister was able to designate "special mopeds" from 2011. The Segway was the first.

At Stint, there was 3.5 months between application and approval. The reflections of the two control bodies involved, RDW and SWOV, were ignored. There is less government oversight than other vehicles, says a senior official in July 2011 in response to RDW concerns. "But given the small number, this risk is considered acceptable." Up to 3,500 relays bypassed the suspension.

The minimum requirements apply to a "special moped": driver's license and helmet are not mandatory for drivers aged 16 and over. In the meantime, 17 vehicles of this category have been admitted. The Stint is the only vehicle for many people. Ten children aged 4 to 12 can be transported to the relay for bso. The maximum speed is 17.2 kilometers at the hour.

2 On Monday, October 1, the Minister decided to suspend or suspend the admission of the relay with immediate effect. . She did so on the basis of the first results of an "exploratory technical inquiry" conducted by the police, the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI) and the inspection of the human and environmental environment. transport (ILT). These raised doubts as to the technical construction of the relay.

In an information sheet, the ILT mentions six technical risks: an interrupted current can cause unwanted acceleration, the throttle valve can not mount it, a spring can break the throttle , the parking brake is not powerful enough, stopping with the ignition key is illogical, the cables can become too hot. In addition, the MSDS reports an official report from Amsterdam reporting three incidents with Stints. In her letter to Parliament, the Minister mentions as a separate reason for suspension the fact that "technical changes were made without a test in relation to the relay as it was authorized at the time". It refers to the weighting of the electric motor from 800 to 1,200 watts

3 Were the reasons for suspension justified?

The risks identified by the TIL are considered unlikely by the other researchers and the manufacturer and did not actually occur. . Only the springs of throttling are vulnerable. The manufacturer was busy replacing it preventively.

The pattern of untested adaptation is shaded. In response to parliamentary questions, the minister wrote that every change must be reported. At the same time, the heaviest engine seems to fit in the authorized bandwidth and the conditions for reporting changes are not recorded. In the summary proceedings on the suspension, the Minister's counsel did not use this argument. More importantly, the question seems to be why an emergency button added in June 2012 was removed in May 2014.

The most controversial reason for the suspension is the official report from Amsterdam. RTL Nieuws discovered that the ILT had amplified an early childhood worker's report on the fact that braking problems were "runaway". That she subsequently withdrew her statement was ignored, a supplement to the official report was only released Wednesday night. State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven informed the Minister of the notification withdrawn the day before the suspension decision. During Thursday night's parliamentary debate, the minister said she was aware of the withdrawal but that the report was not "decisive" for her suspension decision.

4 Judge in the trial, the relay will be banned until at least the end of this year. The minister is waiting for a TNO inquiry that "early in the year" is ready. There are four other studies in progress. The minister sought advice from RDW and SWOV on the new regulations. Childcare organizations must arrange another means of transportation, the manufacturer declared bankruptcy. He expects the relay will not come back on the road.