The first 4 of a total of 92 electric buses that the Flemish public transport company De Lijn has ordered from the Chinese bus manufacturer DYD have entered service in Antwerp. Early last year De Lijn ordered 92 buses from BYD. De Lijn ‘s Frederik Wittock told VRT News that the remainder of the order will be delivered in the coming weeks and that the new electric buses will enter service on routes across the region.
In January 2024 De Lijn ordered 92 electric buses from BYD Europe. This was the first time that the Flemish public transport company had ordered large buses from the Chinese firm. The company came out on top in the tender process. De Lijn’s Frederik Wittock told VRT News that "This is a first for Antwerp, as it is the place where the first 4 of our electric buses from BYD have entered service”.
The buses are running on routes in and around Antwerp. In the near future a further 30 BYD electric buses will be delivered to the depot at Mortsel, south of Antwerp.
The rest of the 92 buses will be sent to other depots across the region. These include Bruges (West Flanders), Hasselt and Winterslag (both Limburg Province).
Many advantages
De Lijn’s Directeur-General Ann Schoubs says that the new buses provide greater comfort to passengers and drivers alike. The new buses are not only CO2 emission-free, but also quiet, vibration-free and equipped with a ramp that can be lowered to allow people with mobility issues ease of access to the bus. Inside the bus large screens will provide information about the journey.
Drivers of the new buses will have more comfortable seats and modern safety equipment inside their cab.
Criticism when De Lijn chose BYD
Last year there was a great deal of criticism of De Lijn’s choice of BYD as a supplier of new electric buses. In the Netherlands there had been issues with buses made by BYD.
Frederik Wittock told VRT News that "We didn’t take this decision in haste, but only after thorough investigation. The BYD buses ordered by De Lijn are being in part built at BYD’s factory in Hungary and there is a technical maintenance facility at hand in the Netherlands if there are any issues.