Bellingen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Bellingen, 7 bus stops are closed during exams, causing stress for students. Opposition leader Beeckmans criticises Alderman Suzanne De Cort; future roadworks on Kareelstraat, Huttestraat are under review.
As VRT News reported, students in Bellingen, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, are facing extra stress during exams because of transportation problems. Changes to bus routes have closed 7 bus stops, making it difficult for many people to get around, particularly those who rely on public transport.
Officials mentioned that this disruption is especially hard on students who need to get to school and exam locations on time. Road construction in the area is creating traffic issues and causing delays. They said that these combined challenges are creating unnecessary difficulties for residents, disrupting daily routines at a time when easy travel is essential.
How will Bellingen solve bus disruptions amid exam stress?
The opposition party, led by Beckmans, is criticising the municipality’s handling of the transport issues. They say the local government hasn’t done enough to fix the problems. Beckmans claims the municipality didn’t try hard enough to find solutions, like a temporary one-way traffic route, to keep bus services running.
Instead, they followed the transport company’s plans without question. Beckmans argues that the municipality should have put residents’ needs first, especially during the exam period. He believes a more flexible approach could have prevented disruptions and made things easier for students and other passengers.
Alderman Suzanne De Cort of Team Pepingen has responded to the opposition’s criticism about the bus service changes. She says the municipality didn’t decide to close the bus stops easily. The bus route goes through streets that are too narrow and are already busy because of road work. This made it impossible to find a safe way for the buses to continue running.
De Cort stresses that there was a real risk of buses tipping over on these roads. She mentioned that the main goal was to keep passengers and drivers safe, which limited the choices for keeping the bus service running as usual during this time.
“Residents can go to nearby stops,”
Says De Cort.
“Fortunately, that is feasible, on foot or by bike. There are simply not many bus lines in the Pajottenland. We are certainly trying to keep the inconvenience as limited as possible, also for the upcoming road works.”
The opposition, led by Beeckmans, is calling for new talks with De Lijn, the regional transport operator. They want to find better ways to handle upcoming road work. Beeckmans admits that any changes won’t help students during the current exam period. After the exams, more road work is scheduled on Kareelstraat and Huttestraat.
The opposition hopes the city council will strongly support keeping the bus service running without interruption during these works. Alderman De Cort says that public transport shouldn’t face major issues during the upcoming road work.
