Over 7 per cent of De Lijn buses run early: ‘Too many drivers see the timetable as non-binding advice’

Last year, 73.66 per cent of De Lijn buses and trams ran on time, compared to 72.78 per cent in 2024. 19.05 per cent ran late, more than 1 percentage point less than the 20.5 per cent in 2024. But the number of buses and trams running early is on the rise: from 6.73 per cent in 2024 to 7.29 per cent in 2025.

‘Too early’ means more than 2 minutes ahead of schedule, ‘too late’ means more than 5 minutes behind schedule.

As a De Lijn passenger, you are best off in Ostend. Last year, 88.38 per cent of buses and trams ran on time there. Only 7.77 per cent ran late and 3.85 per cent early. In the Vlaamse Rand, the Flemish borderlands around Brussels, the situation is much less rosy. Last year, 64.13 per cent ran on time, 23.47 per cent late and 12.40 per cent early.

‘This does not surprise me,’ says Peter Meukens of the TreinTramBus passenger association. ‘Punctuality means preferably not being late, but certainly not being early. If you miss your bus because it is early, you end up being much more delayed.’

Too early: how is that possible?

How is it possible for a bus to run too early? ‘Traffic is not an exact science,’ explains Jens Van Herp of De Lijn. ‘Our drivers have to be able to anticipate possible traffic congestion, which means they may run slightly ahead of schedule.’

‘Drivers must show some discipline and remain stationary at bus stops or drive more slowly at times,’ says Peter Meukens. ‘Some of them view the timetable too much as non-binding advice.’

De Lijn is not solely responsible in determining whether a bus or tram runs on time, as they are often stuck in traffic.