Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Flemish government plans to make De Lijn fully electric by 2035, investing €350M on top of €120M already given. Chris Janssens (Vlaams Belang) criticizes delays, as only 76 of 336, 4% ordered electric buses have arrived.
The Flemish government for De Lijn, Flanders’ public transport company, wants all of De Lijn’s buses and trams to be electric by 2035. They mentioned that no more diesel fumes or greenhouse gas emissions from public transportation in Flanders. The government is giving De Lijn an extra €400 million to buy electric vehicles. This investment comes on top of the €120 million they already gave De Lijn to fix old buses and buy electric buses.
De Lijn has already spent €348.7 million on electric buses and infrastructure. Out of this amount, nearly €200 million was allocated to the purchase of electric buses, while €110 million was directed towards infrastructure projects and depot upgrades, ensuring that the necessary facilities are in place to support the growing electric fleet.
Will De Lijn’s €400M plan succeed as only 4% of buses are electric?
The Flemish government wants to make Flanders a cleaner place. They want to reduce pollution from public transport and make De Lijn, the public transport company, more modern. They are also giving them money to build new places to charge the electric vehicles and fix up old buildings where the buses are kept.
This will decrease public transportation pollution and make public transport more dependable, according to government officials. The government is seeking De Lijn to be a trendsetter in clean energy use and contribute to Flanders becoming a greener region in which to live.
The government mentioned that only a small percentage of buses are electric now. De Lijn, a public transportation company, has 3.6% electric buses, while private companies have 16.9%. Private companies can buy electric buses faster because they don’t have to follow the same rules as De Lijn.
They mentioned that they also have smaller garages, making it easier to switch to electric buses. Chris Jansens thinks the government’s goal is unrealistic. He says it’s unfair that the government makes rules for everyone else but doesn’t follow them themselves.
“It is cynical that a government that imposes all kinds of rules on citizens and companies is never in the front row to follow them,”
Responds Chris Jansens.
The electric buses are also delayed. Many companies can’t deliver them on time because of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and not having enough workers. De Lijn ordered 336 electric buses, but only 76 have arrived. The government is making the bus companies pay fines because they’re late. De Lijn expects about 200 more electric buses this year.
“The traveller and taxpayer should not have to pay for this. Service must come first.”
Chris Janssens (Flemish Interest) Member of the Flemish Parliament
The Flemish government wants to keep buying electric buses for De Lijn. The government has promised to only buy electric buses, which fits with European rules that say public transport should be cleaner. The European rules don’t say that all buses have to be electric, but the Flemish government has decided to go all-electric. They want to make public transport more sustainable.
Some people disagree with the government’s plan to only buy electric buses. They say the government is doing this because they believe in it, not because it’s the best choice. They say that other types of buses, like ones that use diesel and electricity, hydrogen, or natural gas, are also good choices.
They worry that the government’s plan will cost too much for riders and taxpayers. They think that the government should look at all the different types of clean buses and choose the best ones for the job. They want buses that are good for the environment but also work well and are affordable.
