Media House newspapers report that Flemish public transport operator De Lijn received a whopping 87,000 complaints last year, 24,000 more than in 2023. This is the most significant number of complaints De Lijn has ever received in one year.
The record number of complaints is mainly due to the new transport plan Hoppin, which the Flemish government rolled out in January 2024.
The problem lies in punctuality and supply
Hoppin’s goal was to make public transportation more attractive, but the ombudsman’s report shows that it has led chiefly to dissatisfaction: in many places, the travel offer changed, and bus stops were scrapped.
According to De Lijn, the main problems are punctuality and supply. For these, the transportation company recorded 59 and 140% more complaints last year, respectively, than in 2023.
“The increase is mainly due to the drastic network adjustments,” says spokesperson Marco Demerling. “We received more reports from passengers about rides that did not run or changes in the network that passengers had to get used to.”
Due to an aging fleet and staff shortages – De Lijn mainly needs additional drivers and inspectors – the company faces a tough challenge. Complaints about De Lijn now account for more than half of all complaints received by the ombudsperson service about the Flemish government.
Pain point Limburg
In a reaction in De Gazet van Antwerpen, Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) acknowledges the seriousness of the complaints but also nuances them. “There is an increase of 4,5% in travelers, that is about millions of trips of satisfied people, you don’t hear their voice.”
De Ridder also points out that the Flemish government is investing an additional 400 million euros to improve the reliability, safety, and cleanliness of public transport.
Moreover, in the Hoppin plan, hundreds of adjustments have already been and are still being made all over Flanders. The transportation plan has already been adjusted more than 460 times. For example, De Lijn is thinking of dividing Limburg, Flanders’ largest transport region, into five regions to better organize flex transport in the province.
In Limburg, there are many complaints about tailored flex transport because requested rides are often refused, or no drivers or vans are available. In the province, where some 500 stops were cancelled, 37 flex buses are currently running.
