Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Flemish public transport operator, De Lijn, commits major changes to bus and tram service to various parts of Belgium beginning January 6, 2025. This change is first of all explained by the lack of drivers, which totals 150 short of what is being demanded. Therefore, De Lijn has been forced to cut down approximately about 2.5% of services to bring effective and secure public transport.
The changes will be especially felt in heavy-loaded modes, as well as in the complete reconstruction of the bus network in Leuven, where 40% of the services will be changed. Clients are advised to review the new timetable on the De Lijn website before they embark on their trips to avoid inconveniences.
Due to a shortage of drivers, the company De Lijn has announced major changes in its bus and tram services in Belgium starting from January 6 2025. Due to these schemes, key routes will be affected in Leuven and other areas; thus, a total of 37% of services will be affected by this while enhancing efficiency and connectivity. The upcoming changes will mean that over 3200 stops will be deleted, or fully 17% of the total stops in Flanders. It has been made to rationalise overhead costs and concentrate on those regions where traffic volume is much higher. In place of traditional bus stops, De Lijn is introducing ‘flexible transport’ options, allowing passengers to book trips via an app or call centre for greater convenience. Approximately 25% of the remaining stops will become ‘De Lijn Flex’ stops, where buses will not follow a regular schedule but can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. The company states that such changes are meant to enhance travelling time and service delivery, while commuters may have to endure longer train commutes as they adjust to new node-hopping points and new routes.
Addressing concerns and future mobility
The reorganisation of public transport services is part of the current debate about the accessibility and organisation of public transport in Flanders, where De Lijn operates. The latest information revealed that at present, more than half of the bus stops in De Lijn areas are not barrier-free for disabled users, thereby raising a concern about inclusion in public transport. As for that, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters has stressed the need to carry out further adjustments and has pledged to improve accessibility at various stops. Flexible transport is considered to be a move towards fixing these problems and keeping the network manageable and sensitive to consumers.
However, saving costs is not the only reason driving this policy: De Lijn also has grand plans for future mobility, specifically improving routes and shortening the time it takes to travel through certain corridors. The business hopes to improve its services by allocating the resources where they are wanted and perhaps making the buses more frequent during rush hours. As a part of this, there is also an effort towards electrification of public transport by 2035, which also includes more than 2000 electrically charged buses in their action plan for Sustainable Public Transport. These ambitious objectives indicate the commitment of De Lijn to the general enhancement of the quality of service provision in the field of public transport while tackling some of the acute problems in the operation of the public transport system in Flanders, such as the scarcity of drivers.
