The Hague pilot ‘Kids voor Niks’, which allows children aged 4 to 11 to travel for free by bus and tram, has proven to be a great success. New figures show that approximately 55% of all children in The Hague now use the free public transport card. Because ‘Kids voor Niks’ meets a need, the Municipal Executive has decided to extend the pilot by one year.
“ With ‘Kids for Nothing’, we lower barriers for families and increase the freedom of movement for children in The Hague. We see that children are going out more often, discovering new places, and becoming more independent. The fact that more than half of all children in The Hague now travel with the free public transport card shows how great the need is and how well the pilot is working. The positive experiences of parents and the consistent use of bus and tram confirm that we are really making a difference with this pilot. That is why we would like to continue this success ,” says Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Mobility).
Since the start of the pilot on March 10, 2025, a total of 32,615 children have used ‘Kids voor Niks’. In April 2026, as many as 16,500 unique cards traveled in a single month. Participation is highest in neighborhoods with many Ooievaarspas holders, such as Centrum, Escamp, and Laak. Analysis of HTM and EBS travel data shows that children not only apply for the card but also use it regularly. Most children make multiple trips per month, especially on weekdays around school and leisure times. The average trip distance is 2.8 kilometers, indicating short trips within the city.
Children travel more often, further, and more independently.
Survey research among parents also shows that the pilot is working. Children use public transport more frequently and for a wider variety of destinations, parents indicate that their child visits places they did not visit before, and attitudes towards public transport have clearly become more positive. Satisfaction with accessibility, comfort, safety, and especially costs has increased. Consequently, the pilot demonstrably contributes to increasing children’s mobility and lowering financial barriers for families.
Differences between neighborhoods
Participation varies by neighborhood. Reach is highest in densely populated neighborhoods and areas with many Ooievaarspas holders, which may indicate that the pilot contributes to reducing transport poverty. With the extension, the municipality continues to invest in accessible and affordable public transport for all young residents of The Hague and strengthens the mobility and opportunities of children in The Hague.
The planned opening of the Hubertus Tunnel in early July 2026 will not be met, Strukton (the contractor) has informed the Municipality of The Hague. The renovation of the Hubertus Tunnel is currently in the testing phase, during which more than 40 installations and systems – individually and in conjunction – are being extensively checked. According to Strukton, the test results are disappointing. Therefore, adjustments will be made in the coming period, after which testing will be conducted again. The tunnel will only open once the test results are satisfactory and an opening can be carried out safely. Strukton expects this to be in mid-September 2026.
The municipality considers the renewed postponement of the opening a major disappointment and, as in the past, is examining which next steps can contribute to accelerating the opening date. The municipality is closely monitoring progress and is in intensive contact with Strukton regarding the testing process and the schedule. Since this milestone has not been reached either, the contractual penalty for Strukton continues to accrue until the work is completed.
Diversions
Due to the extended closure, traffic must continue to take a detour until the road reopens. The existing closures and associated diversions in the area remain unchanged. Until then, traffic will remain heavy.
British Minister Pat McFadden visited Jongerenpunt070 in The Hague last week. Jongerenpunt070 advises and guides young people in The Hague aged 16 to 27 towards employment, education, or social participation. The Minister was received by Alderman Nur Icar (Employment). During the working visit, particular attention was paid to what The Hague does for the so-called ‘NEET group’: young people who are not studying or pursuing any education. Thanks to a preventive approach in the neighborhoods and at vocational schools, young people are reached more quickly and problems can be prevented. The Minister also received a tour of Jongerenpunt070, and experiences were shared regarding guiding young people towards employment.
Alderman Nur Icar (Employment): “It is very valuable to exchange experiences with other countries and learn from each other’s approaches. It is wonderful to show Minister McFadden today how we empower young people in The Hague. We do this by truly seeing young people and offering them the chance to build their future with self-confidence. With results: last year, Jongerenpunt070 helped more than 4,000 young people!”
Minister McFadden (Work and Pensions): “A visit to Jongerenpunt070 showed me just how much of a difference it really makes when every young person gets their own trajectory, a coach, and a tailored plan. That Dutch model is already starting to take root in the UK, with hundreds of new ‘Youth Hubs’ being rolled out across the country. No young person should be given up on and written off – everyone deserves a path to success, and this government is determined to provide that.”
In the right place, with the right people
At Jongerenpunt070, young people are assigned a dedicated contact person with whom they can discuss everything (confidentially). Together with a coach, they assess what the young person needs. For example, which education program suits the young person’s wishes, or whether the young person wants to start working immediately or wants to work and study at the same time. In this way, Jongerenpunt070 ensures that young people end up in the right place and with the right people. Sometimes there are matters that need to be addressed first before a step towards work or education can be taken, such as financial matters and childcare. Jongerenpunt070 focuses on prevention and support in these areas as well.
Text: Gemeente Den Haag. Translation to English: The Hague Online
Photo credit: Alderman Icar receives Minister McFadden at Jongerenpunt070, Photographer: Phil Nijhuis
In the former nuclear bunker ‘de Noodzetel’, the Municipality of The Hague has opened a unique new archive repository for the Municipal Archives of The Hague (HGA). Five ultra-modern depots have been set up, providing over four kilometers of additional archive space. This makes the HGA one of the safest and most advanced repositories in the Netherlands.
The new spaces, collectively named Depot N, are located on level -1 of the bunker complex at Schedeldoekshaven. Alderwoman Saskia Bruines (Heritage) opened the new depot: “This bunker was once built to keep people safe in times of crisis. Now, here we protect the memory of the city for future generations. We desperately need the extra space. Beneath City Hall, we already have twenty kilometers of shelf space for The Hague Municipal Archives, but that capacity is almost fully utilized. With Depot N, we gain an additional 4,136 meters of shelf space.”
Modern archival preservation
Depot N meets the highest standards for archive preservation. All five depots are equipped with an oxygen reduction system, keeping the oxygen level so low that fire is virtually impossible to start. Even a small lighter flame is extinguished instantly.
Four storage facilities are constantly kept at 19 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 50 percent. The specially designed film storage facility, also known as the ‘cold vault’, remains permanently at five degrees and 35 percent humidity. Thanks to these conditions, films can be preserved for hundreds of years.
In addition, the complex features modern installations for fire safety, water detection, and air handling, energy-efficient LED lighting, and a connection to district heating and thermal energy storage.
From government bunker to city treasury
The bunker was built in the mid-1970s as a nuclear shelter for the central government. The complex had room for 206 civil servants who could stay there for months in the event of a disaster. With walls 80 centimeters thick and a one-meter reinforced concrete ceiling, the bunker was considered one of the safest places in the Netherlands.
The former emergency headquarters is now being repurposed as a secure storage facility for special collections from The Hague. In the coming months, the civil registry of The Hague, an extensive film collection, and the archives of the Hague Nutsspaarbank, among others, will be transferred to Depot N.
Opening with a special archival document
Alderman Bruines officially opened Depot N by placing the first archival document in the depot. It concerns an inventory list of the possessions of philosopher Baruch Spinoza from 1677, originating from notarial archives in The Hague.
Spinoza lived his final years on the Paviljoensgracht in The Hague, where he worked on his famous philosophical works on liberty, ethics, and democracy.
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Photos: Martijn Beekman / Municipality of The Hague.
Sam Hermans: Director of Library and Archives
Esther Trapman: Manager The Hague Municipal Archives
Den Haag, 10 juni 2026
Opening N depot gemeentearchief Schedeldoekshaven
FOTO MARTIJN BEEKMANDen Haag, 10 juni 2026
Opening N depot gemeentearchief Schedeldoekshaven
FOTO MARTIJN BEEKMAN
Win up to €15,000 for the development of your business
For the twelfth consecutive year, The Hague is opening the search for entrepreneurs working on innovative solutions to societal challenges. Registration for The Hague Innovators Awards 2026 is now officially open. This annual competition is an initiative of ImpactCity, part of the Municipality of The Hague, and offers start-ups, scale-ups, and students the opportunity to present their innovation to a broad and relevant audience.
With cash prizes of up to €15,000, coaching, media attention, and access to a powerful network of investors and partners, The Hague Innovators Awards has grown into a valuable springboard for entrepreneurs who combine doing good for society with doing business. Names such as Droppie, North Sea Farmers, Seepje, and Naïf Care have been able to call themselves The Hague Innovators in recent years.
New generation, fresh perspective
The challenges of our time, from climate change and food security to energy transition and social justice, call for fresh perspectives and scalable solutions. The Hague Innovators Awards focuses on entrepreneurs who contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with innovative products or services. Since last year, one of the award categories has been specifically for student entrepreneurs from The Hague who want to make a societal impact with their ideas.
A stage full of opportunities
Nominees go through an intensive program including pitch training, one-on-one coaching, and a video shoot in the Binckhaven, the beating heart of The Hague’s impact economy. Experts from Rabobank, DOEN Participaties, Unknown Group, and InnovationQuarter, among others, are part of the jury and guide the participants throughout the process.
The final takes place this year during Schaal je Impact (Scale your Impact) in November. Finalists present their innovation live on stage, after which the winners are announced.
Previous winners, such as Droppie, Solvoz, Feelou, and Rator, have been able to take a significant step towards scaling up, recognition, and new investments thanks to The Hague Innovators.
“Thanks in part to the support of ImpactCity and the Municipality of The Hague, The Hague grew into our best-performing city. Residents have already handed in hundreds of thousands of items, accounting for over 129,000 kilos of material for reuse or recycling. Great proof of how powerful collaboration can be between residents, the municipality, and entrepreneurs who really want to make an impact.” – Stef Traa, co-founder of Droppie and winner of 2025.
To register
Are you, or do you know, a Hague entrepreneur with an innovative product or service that contributes to a better future? You can register for The Hague Innovators Awards 2026 until September 1 via www.impactcity.nl.
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ImpactCity is the ecosystem for impact-driven entrepreneurs in The Hague. Under the motto ‘doing good and doing business’, ImpactCity helps entrepreneurs start and scale up their businesses with access to financing, knowledge, networks, and publicity. www.impactcity.nl
The European Union has once again approved more grant applications from The Hague over the past year. This brings the total for 2025 to ten approved applications, totaling 4.1 million euros. This amount could rise further, as six grant applications are still being assessed in Brussels. In addition, The Hague has received another 22.7 million euros for the Kansen voor West programme for the period 2021–2027.
Klaas Verschuure, Alderman for Europe, is delighted: “The Hague is a European city through and through. With European funds, we are making the city more beautiful, cleaner, and more social for the residents of The Hague. Look at the paving on Grote Marktstraat, the new city park with which we are greening the Binckhorst, or the special training vouchers that increase your chances of finding a job: this is just a small selection of the projects that have been partly funded by the European Union. All residents of The Hague benefit from this, and that is why I will continue to work in Brussels to secure a good seat at the table.”
Important new projects made possible with support from the European Union concern, for example, innovative solutions to ensure a supply of drinking water during times of drought, or to reinforce the dunes against the encroaching sea. The municipality also received funding to enable new forms of car sharing, allowing residents of The Hague to start their own cooperatives for transportation.
The additional revenue for the municipality is the result of the increased focus on European cooperation. In 2025, the City Council supported The Hague’s European strategy ‘Doing More with Europe’. Thanks to this strategy, the city can act decisively in Brussels and seize opportunities for The Hague’s residents. For instance, since last year, The Hague has had a permanent EU representative in Brussels to safeguard The Hague’s interests.
Verschuure: “Europe is important for The Hague, and The Hague for the European Union. Important decisions are made in Brussels that affect our daily lives. For example, regarding fireworks safety and clean beaches. With a strong position at the table, we can share our knowledge and work towards the best solutions for the people of The Hague.”
Moreover, the European ecosystem in The Hague is strengthened by a large number of companies and organizations. Together, they received hundreds of millions in European subsidies in recent years. 27 European organizations are based in The Hague, which together are responsible for €1.1 billion in additional spending in the Hague economy and approximately 4,250 extra jobs, according to calculations by research firm Decisio.
Recently, people in The Hague have been able to discover more about how the European Union works and how decisions of the European Commission, Parliament, and Council are reached. On May 9, Europe Day, the Europa Experience opened on Grote Marktstraat. This interactive visitor center is open to interested visitors six days a week.
Photo: Councilor Klaas Verschuure opens the Europa Experience in The Hague. Credit: Phil Nijhuis
Den Haag, 9 mei 2026 –
Dag van Europa –
– Vlaggenceremonie Hofvijver
Hijsen van 13 Europese vlaggen aan de Hofvijver met wethouder Europa en ambassadeurs EU landen + Haagse studenten.
