Buses on line 36 have resumed service on Antwerp’s Linkeroever following a fatal stabbing on a bus on Monday. Drivers had refused to operate the line and demanded greater safety when working on the route, which has been the subject of multiple incidents of violence and vandalism.
After this week’s attack, in which a 76-year-old man was stabbed to death by a fellow passenger, N-VA MP Annick De Ridder promised in the Flemish Parliament that two supervisors from De Lijn would ensure greater safety on the route.
A supervisor was on board certain buses this morning, but on many others, nothing appeared to have changed.
“I wasn’t supposed to work today,” said a supervisor, who wished to remain anonymous. “But I came here anyway to assist the driver.”
We can only mediate and keep an eye on the atmosphere on the bus
He said it was unrealistic to provide an escort on every bus journey on the route. “De Lijn knows there aren’t enough of us to achieve this at the moment,” he said. “If they want this, they will have to recruit more staff.”
He added that while the presence of an escort helps, it remains difficult to prevent incidents like Monday’s attack.
“We can deal with the usual nuisance fairly well. But a stabbing like the one earlier this week is obviously a matter for the police,” he said. “We can only mediate and keep an eye on the atmosphere on the bus. So far, this morning, everything is going well.”
Two De Lijn security guards are also stationed at Frederik van Eedenplein. They follow some buses in a separate vehicle so they can intervene if an incident occurs.
