Splashtours amphibious bus

The Splashtours amphibious bus was set up by two Rotterdam hospitality entrepreneurs, who ran a 75-minute combined road and river tour of the city. The route began on the Coolsingel, crossed the Erasmus Bridge towards Katendrecht and then plunged into the Maas for a cruise with views of the skyline. Back on land it returned past the Noordereiland, the Willemsbrug and the cube houses. Locals quickly called it the "Plonsbus" ("splash bus").

UPDATE 17th October 2026 The buses that are still operated by Splashtours in Rotterdam were built to order by Dutch Amphibious Tours (DAT) in Nijmegen. https://www.datbv.com

Update info supplied by Ton Van Vlerken

Design

A Dutch report says the operators found their vehicle in Malta as a modern version of the amphibious bus, and it describes features matching the AmphiCoach: unsinkable buoyancy chambers, ABS brakes, electronic engine management, navigation equipment, a depth sounder and an autopilot. On the road a 280 hp Iveco Tector diesel drives the rear wheels. Rear-wheel drive proved a handicap on the steep ramp during the first trials. Afloat, a diesel-electric system powers two marine jet drives. The bus seats 42 passengers.

A 2008 Dutch regional business paper adds that the aluminium shipbuilder Willems of Boven-Leeuwen was building the bus's aluminium body on site from detailed drawings.

History

The first combined driving and sailing trials took place in Rotterdam harbour in September of the launch year, and the attraction was due to open that November. The province of Gelderland followed the project closely. It commissioned the NEA consultancy to study whether amphibious buses could run scheduled river-crossing services, such as Veenendaal to Nijmegen across the Rhine and Waal, or Oss to Utrecht across the Maas, Waal and Rhine.