Children in The Hague will be able to travel for free on public transport from the end of March as part of a pilot programme the city has set up. The trial is expected to run until December 2026.

The Hague launches trial for free travel for children in March

From March, travelling for free on public transport in The Hague will be possible for children aged four to 11 years old who are registered in the city. The Dutch municipality announced the pilot project in April last year as a means to encourage parents to take the bus and tram more often when going out as a family. It was delayed when developing the platform for the scheme took longer than expected. 

The programme is also meant to familiarise children with public transport at a young age so they are more likely to use it as they get older. “With this pilot, we want to ensure that children can travel more easily and independently, for example to school, sports or friends,” said Alderman Arjen Kapteijns in a municipality press release. “We hope that they and their parents will see public transport as an attractive and accessible alternative."

Parents and guardians can apply for free travel for children

In order for kids to travel for free on The Hague public transport, parents and guardians need to set up a DigiD account - a form of online identification - for their child and then purchase a personal OV-chipkaart. Travel costs and the cost of the card will be reimbursed by the municipality. 

If the pilot project goes well it could be extended past December 2026. The use of the public transport cards and number of people using public transport will be monitored during this period to determine if this is the case. A similar trial proved to be a success in Amsterdam and has been extended to 2027.

Thumb image credit: ColorMaker / Shutterstock.com