The Flex is a form of on-demand public transport. Instead of a fixed timetable, you simply book a trip yourself at the time that suits you. You are then picked up by a passenger car or van with a driver and taken to your destination, or to a transfer point for regular public transport.

The Flex runs 7 days a week from 06.00 to 23.00, allowing you to travel flexibly in the early morning, evening and at weekends too.
Booking a trip is easy and can be done in two ways:
•    ? Via the Reizen door Zeeland app
•    ? By phone via 088 23 58 070
After your booking, your trip will be scheduled and you will see the earliest departure time.

You board at a hub near you. These are fixed pick-up points strategically distributed throughout the region. Do you live outside the built-up area? Then the Flex offers extra convenience: in many cases you can simply be picked up at your own address. You just pay the regular public transport fare, just as you are used to on bus or train. This keeps flexible transport accessible for everyone. Do you have a public transport travel product? You can simply link it to your existing Reizen door Zeeland account via abonnement.reizendoorzeeland.nl.

With the addition of Zuid-Beveland and Tholen, the network is complete and flexible travel throughout Zeeland is now truly a reality. This means more freedom, better accessibility and a solution for areas where traditional public transport runs less frequently. 

Whether you go to work, visit family, plan a day out or have an evening activity, the Flex moves with you.
Where will you be going soon?

? Tip: Want to see in advance where the hubs near you are? View the map via www.reizendoorzeeland.nl/kaart and discover your options.
 

Michel van Maanen, CEO EBS: “It is unique that within a single concession all neighbourhood buses will become fully electric. A special step that we are taking together with Tribus and the neighbourhood bus associations. Their involvement and pride make our collaboration especially valuable. In the end, we do it all for the travellers in Zeeland: they should soon be able to count on pleasant, clean and quiet transport, day after day.”

Accessibility

The electric neighbourhood buses that will start operating in Zeeland from December 2026 will be given the recognisable REIZEN DOOR ZEELAND style. The vehicles will be equipped with a wheelchair lift, making the bus also suitable for passengers with reduced mobility. Neighbourhood bus associations helped think about the layout of the neighbourhood buses.

EBS further expands experience with electric buses

EBS has been operating electric buses for years and will further expand that experience in the coming years. These vehicles are an important part of the step towards fully emission-free transport in the regions where EBS is active. With the order of the Zeeland fleet, the number of EBS electric vehicles in the Netherlands will continue to grow. The new electric buses and neighbourhood buses will ensure less CO₂-emissions, less noise and a more pleasant living environment in Zeeland’s towns and villages. By now, the largest part of the EBS-fleet consists of emission-free buses, with more than 500 vehicles spread across the concessions Haaglanden, IJssel-Vecht, Zaanstreek-Waterland and Voorne-Putten & Rozenburg – and from 2026 also in Zeeland.

REIZEN DOOR ZEELAND: one network for bus and Flex

From December 2026, EBS will provide public transport in Zeeland under the name REIZEN DOOR ZEELAND. The network with fixed bus lines and neighbourhood bus lines will be supplemented by Flex by the Province of Zeeland, in cooperation with municipalities.

The Flex is a taxi or van with a driver and operates seven days a week, from six o’clock in the morning until eleven o’clock in the evening. Always as a supplement to the existing public transport. That means that travellers on Walcheren can from now on be taken by the Flex to and from any destination on Walcheren. Also at times when the bus does not run, such as in the evening or at the weekend.

Across Walcheren, green hub signs have been installed. With these hubs we make it visible where you can use the Flex. The hubs form fixed, recognisable points in the neighbourhood where you can board or transfer.

Haven’t seen a hub sign near you yet? Then take a look at the map and see where the hubs in your area will be located.

With these hubs, we show where you will soon be able to use the Flex: a flexible and smart transport solution that helps you reach your destination, including in the evenings and at weekends. The hubs form fixed, recognizable points in the neighbourhood where you can board or transfer. The Flex starts on 2 February.

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Haven't seen a hub sign near you yet? Then take a look at the map and see where the hubs will be in your area.

This week too, we are busy testing. On 15 December, a major update will become available over the course of the day. This aligns with the start of the new public transport timetable. We will announce what exactly this update entails soon.

Please note: from today, the Haltetaxi in Sluis will no longer operate. Users of the Haltetaxi have been informed about this. So download the Reizen door Zeeland app and create an account, so you can easily switch to this new, flexible way of travelling.

In addition, the Flex will take over the role of the Haltetaxi. The Haltetaxi currently offers on-demand transport at fixed times, with reservations possible only by phone. With the arrival of the Flex, this becomes much easier: from 3 November you can quickly and flexibly book your ride in Hulst and Terneuzen via the Flex app. 

In Sluis, the Haltetaxi will continue to operate for the time being. There, this service, together with the Regiotaxi, forms an important link in the local transport network. Because it is important that both systems connect well, the Haltetaxi in Sluis will remain available until the Flex can be fully deployed there. The introduction of the Flex in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen also differs from earlier versions on Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland. Distances in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen are greater, which means the service must be carefully set up in order to function properly. In most cases this goes smoothly, but sometimes something can go wrong. We therefore ask for understanding if something does not work perfectly in the initial phase.

Something will also change for current users from 3 November.
The map view in the app will receive an update. Whereas now both all physical hubs and home addresses are visible, soon only the physical hubs will be displayed on the map. Don’t worry: if you live in a rural area, you can still simply enter your home address via the search function and select it as a pick-up or drop-off point. The change provides a clearer map and makes planning trips easier and clearer.

The enthusiasm and involvement of the participants was great. They not only indicated their preferences, but also asked many questions and actively contributed ideas. Topics participants consider important: convenience, accessibility, safety and comfort. And in addition: that the bus is future-proof and attractive. 

What participants chose - and what we do with it

Based on the participants’ preferences, the Province of Zeeland together with EBS has now made choices for the interior of the new buses. Below you can read the key outcomes.

Seats: sturdy and the color purple

Most participants chose seats with thick cushions, a firm neutral  (less contoured) backrest, type 2 was mentioned most often. This seat type is rated by passengers in buses in parts of Gelderland, Flevoland and Overijssel with an 8.1 for seating comfort. We follow participants’ preference and therefore choose this type of seat for the new buses. As for the color, it turned out that people up to 30 years old more often preferred blue. While the 31-50 age category more often chose purple. We have chosen purple, matching the exterior of the bus. Purple symbolizes quality and individuality, fitting well with the new transport system we are striving for.

Priority seats in green

For the priority seats, intended for people who need extra support, various colors were mentioned. The red color was mentioned most often by a small margin. However, we deliberately choose green here: a color that looks friendly and inviting for anyone who needs just a bit more support. In our view, green and purple go nicely together. Moreover, the contrast between purple and green is large, making the priority seats clearly visible to passengers with a visual impairment. There will be two priority seats at the front of the bus, close to the door, facing the direction of travel.

Floor with a light look

The bus floor will have a light wood look. A large majority of the participants chose the wood look. Notably, especially people up to 41 years old preferred the wood look; above that, the terrazzo look was the favorite. We align with the majority and choose the wood look. In our view, this choice fits well with the calm and natural look we have in mind for the buses. 

Wi-Fi on the go

All new buses will have a good free Wi-Fi connection. The questionnaire showed that a small majority (54%) regularly or occasionally uses Wi-Fi on the bus. People can of course also continue to use their own network, as 29% of respondents already do.

Convenient charging on the go

Charging devices was considered important by 77%. There will be a USB-C charging point at every seat. 

No preference for tables

Tables are not a must for many passengers; only 18% indicate they would like to use a table on the bus. Because drivers and passengers also indicate that tables are quickly broken, we are not opting for them. So there will be no tables on the buses. There will, however, be multimedia consoles at every seat, where a mobile phone can be clamped in place.  

Drivers and interest groups

The drivers and various interest groups contributed ideas on the same topics as the passengers. In addition, they also discussed in detail other topics such as the on-board computer, which at their request will be placed a bit further forward (an adjustable option is still being considered), the driver’s seat, which should preferably be manually operated and easy to use, the placement of equipment, cameras and displays, the placement of trash bins at each door, and the accessibility of the buses. To improve accessibility, EBS is aligning the use of color for stop buttons and handholds with an interest group for people with a visual impairment. Finally, there will be a spacious wheelchair space near the exit door in the middle of the bus  .

Neighborhood buses

EBS will also supply the new neighborhood buses that will operate in Zeeland from December 2026. Neighborhood bus associations also spoke with EBS about their preferences. The seat layout in the neighborhood buses will be 2x4, the check-in equipment will be placed to the right of the entrance door so that the driver can help the passenger more easily, and there will be a wheelchair lift in the neighborhood buses. 

Who took part?

In total, we held discussions with about 200 people. 85 passengers completed the questionnaire. Most passengers who completed the questionnaire visited the new bus in Goes or Middelburg, in addition to Terneuzen and Zierikzee. Participants came from all age groups, with the largest representation of people between 31–40 years and 68+. Most participants take the bus regularly: 1 to 3 times or even 4+ days per week (57%). Work (27%), recreation (25%) and school (22%) were the main reasons for traveling. In addition, 44% travel with a subscription. People with a car available sometimes appeared to consciously choose the bus, mainly because of comfort, car parking costs or sustainability.

The discussions we held

There were also many questions from passengers, for which we took plenty of time during the sessions. For example, visitors made suggestions for an emergency phone number, good air conditioning and digital travel information at the stops. All suggestions will be looked at more closely in the coming period. Passengers expressed their appreciation for the drivers and wondered whether they would all keep their jobs. That is indeed the case: in principle, all drivers will transfer from Connexxion to EBS. 

Finally, there were many questions about the new system in which the bus is combined with the Flex. For instance, people wanted to know whether their stops would continue to exist. In the vast majority of cases, they will. People also asked who will operate the Flex and what it looks like. The Flex will be operated by taxi companies that currently provide WMO transport for the municipalities. The Flex is a taxi or (mini)bus with a driver. The Flex runs seven days a week between 6:00 and 23:00. You board at a hub, or, outside built-up areas, you are picked up at home. At the moment the Flex operates on Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland; later it will be available throughout Zeeland.

The input from passengers showed what is on the minds of everyday public transport users. A selection of the reactions:

• “Nice that we’re allowed to think along about the colours. Of course it should still stay a bit cheerful on the bus”
• “Really nice that we can even try out sitting on different seats. I’ve never experienced that before.”
• “I think safety is important; on the train you can message a number if you feel unsafe—could that also be possible on the bus?”
• “Great that there will soon be a low step entry on the bus, so that people who are less mobile can also get on the bus easily.”

Open and accessible contact

The audience on 17 June consisted of a mix of daily travellers, occasional users and interested people. Participants could try out sitting on different seats, assess upholstery, think about the colour scheme of the interior and make suggestions about tables and USB points on the bus. The accessibility worked well: there was room for spontaneous conversations, experiences and questions. EBS staff and representatives of the Province of Zeeland were on hand to answer questions. At the location in Middelburg, the activity was briefly disrupted by five demonstrators. 

Conversation with drivers and interest groups

On Wednesday 18 June, the conversation continued with several other important groups: the drivers, the provincial passenger consultative body (OPOV) and a number of neighbourhood bus associations. Among other things, they discussed the possibilities of the onboard computer for drivers, the placement of equipment and the accessibility of the buses. There was ample opportunity to ask questions and provide advice. Finally, a number of the drivers present also took a test drive in the new bus.

Easy planning, booking and paying

Anyone who books a trip at least an hour in advance is guaranteed that a Flex will come. Booking can be done by phone (088 23 58 070) or via the Reizen door Zeeland app. The fares are the same as those for public transport. Payment can be made in the app or to the driver. A student travel card, 65+ card and OV-minima card are valid in the Flex. Within built-up areas, passengers board at a hub – recognizable by a green sign – that is always within 500 meters of their home; outside built-up areas they are picked up or dropped off wherever they want. The Flex makes all of Noord-Beveland accessible.

Alderman van Belzen of the municipality of Noord-Beveland (public transport): “With the introduction of the Flex, we are improving the accessibility of Noord-Beveland in a smart, demand-driven way. For our residents, that means customized service, better connections to existing routes and above all: mobility at times when it’s truly needed. This is an important step in strengthening the quality of life and accessibility of our municipality."

Results Schouwen-Duiveland

Since 17 February, the Flex has been operating on Schouwen-Duiveland. Schouwen-Duiveland is the first municipality where the Flex started operating. Satisfaction among passengers is high. From more than 1,000 ratings, the Flex scores a 4.9 on a five-point scale. Each week, around 50 new users join. 3,000 people have already used the Flex. Passengers are positive, among other things, about the friendly and helpful drivers, the punctuality of the arrival time and that the Flex runs when there are no buses running, such as in the evening and at weekends.

Provincial executive Harry van der Maas (Mobility): “I am pleased with the positive rating from passengers on Schouwen-Duiveland. This gives me a lot of confidence for the rollout of Flex in the other municipalities. After a successful start, it’s great that from today the Flex is also making Noord-Beveland more accessible. In the autumn of 2025, we will roll out the Flex in Walcheren and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. In 2026, the Bevelanden and Tholen will follow.”

Reizen door Zeeland

Under the name Reizen door Zeeland, the Zeeland municipalities and the Province of Zeeland, supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, are working on a Zeeland that is easier to reach. No later than the end of next year, the Flex will operate throughout Zeeland. That is also the moment that EBS takes over bus transport in Zeeland from Connexxion.