Bus and tram services operated by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn face disruption today (Friday 27 October). Drivers and mechanics at several of the company's depots and maintenance centres have downed tools after De Lijn announced the closure of 8 depots. Although no job losses will result from the closures, 280 people that work for De Lijn will have to move to a new depot as the depot they currently work at will close.
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Disruption to bus and tram services across much of Flanders as drivers take strike action
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In addition to the strike by staff employed directly by De Lijn, drivers that work for some of De Lijn’s subcontractors are also taking strike action. They are striking in protest against the failure to reach a deal on an energy bonus, a possible relaxation of the rules on the time spent driving and rest times and against the increase in the number of incidents of aggression against drivers. Today’s strike is causing disruption across Antwerp Province, where staff at all depots are on strike.
There is also a lot of disruption in Flemish Brabant, particularly to routes that serve the municipalities that are peripheral to Brussels. The busy routes between Brussels and Ninove (East Flanders) via Dilbeek are particularly badly hit, as are other routes in the Pajottenland area and around Vilvoorde and Londerzeel.
There is disruption in West Flanders too, especially in the Westhoek and the Kortrijk areas. The strike by staff that work for subcontractors means that between 25% and 30% of services have been cancelled in Limburg Province. The only province that is (as yet) unaffected by the action is East Flanders.
De Lijn is closely monitoring the situation and regularly posts updates on its website and on social media. Passengers are advised to also consult De Lijn’s app to see which services are running and which are not.