No free bike bus on Afsluitdijk in winter due to lack of passengers

Starting November 1, the free shuttle bus for transporting bicycles across the Afsluitdijk will temporarily cease operations due to low winter usage. The service, which was introduced after cycling was prohibited on the dike since 2019 for reinforcement works, saw an average of less than thirty users per month in winter compared to 3,000 in summer. Rijkswaterstaat decided to save costs as the bus often ran empty. The bus service will resume on March 1, and temporary bicycle bridges are expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2027, providing a more cost-effective solution than continuing the shuttle service, which would have cost 14 million euros.