Half fewer buses and trams on Wednesday through trade union campaign at De Lijn
Due to a trade union campaign, only about half of the buses and trams from De Lijn will ride in Flanders on Wednesday. The Flemish public transport company announced this on Monday evening. The route planner has been adjusted.
The common trade union front keeps an action day out of anxiety about a new work planning on Wednesday. As with other actions, the management of De Lijn worked out an alternative timetable based on the employees who indicated that they will work.
Throughout Flanders, an average of 51 percent of buses and trams will ride, compared to a normal day, says De Lijn. A lot of nuisance is expected in the cities of Antwerp and Ghent: only three in ten buses and trams will drive there. Only one in three coastal trams runs on the coast.
At the provincial level, the nuisance will be greatest in the province of East Flanders, where only 45 percent of the journeys will be carried out. West Flanders and Antwerp are just under 50 percent. In Flemish Brabant, 56 percent would drive and in Limburg the nuisance would be the smallest (63 percent drives).
Route planner
The alternative timetable is included in the route planner of De Lijn. « The stop pages and line pages on the website and in the app only show journeys that will run on Wednesday 12 March, » says the public transport company. « Rides that do not drive are not shown. »
She adds that there is a chance that more journeys will disappear on the day itself, for example because a driver is sick. « As a result, there may be minimal differences between communication in advance and reality on the day of the action. »
The trade unions at De Lijn had previously submitted a strike notice. They spoke of a reduction in the number of services in different regions in Flanders. The unions fear that drivers will have to drive more often split services, insure evening shifts and have to work on Saturday. Social consultation is still ongoing.
© Dirk Vertommen
