Drivers at the Flemish public transport company De Lijn’s Rumst Depot in Antwerp Province have downed tools after one of their colleagues was assaulted while driving his bus in Boom (Antwerp province) on Friday. The drivers are meeting with management to discuss measures to improve security for staff working on the busses. No busses will leave the depot that serves routes in the southwest of Antwerp Province until mid-afternoon.
Drivers at the Rumst depot attended a mass meeting with union representatives and management on Monday morning and no vehicles left the depot. The reason for the action is an incident on Friday in which a driver was punched in the face aboard his vehicle in Boom (Antwerp Province).
The action is causing disruption on several bus routes in the southwest of Antwerp Province. De Lijn advises passengers to consult its website www.delijn.be or its app to check whether their service is running. Services should have returned to normal before the start of the evening rush hour.
Plastic screens and more ticket inspectors
The socialist public service union ACOD says that it is hoping for greater clarity on the measures announced by the Flemish Transport Minister Lydia Peeters (liberal) to improve driver security.
Among the measures promised are protective screens to ensure that the driver’s cab its sealed. Also promised are 31 additional ticket inspectors for De Lijn’s services in Antwerp Province. The recruitment process for the additional ticket inspectors is yet to get underway.