The Flemish public transport company De Lijn will increase the amount of its administrative fines by 18.37%. The acceptable amounts thus follow the fare indexation implemented in April.
According to Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA), it is logical for fines to follow that price trend and should “continue to encourage people to purchase their transport ticket correctly.”
€127 instead of €107
Specifically, an adult who cannot present a valid ticket will in the future have to pay a fine of 127 euros instead of 107 euros for a first offense. For children under 12, the fine increases from €56 to €67, and for young people between 12 and 17, it increases from €81 to €96. Children up to the age of five travel free on De Lijn, provided they are accompanied by a paying traveler at least 12 years old.
An adult traveler who commits more serious offenses, such as damaging a bus or streetcar or misusing the emergency signal, now risks a fine of €296 for a first offense, instead of €250. For repeated violations, the acceptable amounts go up.
More targeted interventions
The decision on the increased amounts of fines now goes to the Council of State for advice. It is also the intention to adjust the regulations so that the acceptable amounts will be automatically indexed in the future.
In the future, targeted interventions will also be implemented on lines with the highest probability of fare evasion. Those routes can be identified by comparing camera surveillance footage with payment data.
The Minister also plans to utilize private security firms, but this will necessitate amending legislation to grant the guards the necessary powers. Furthermore, the team of inspectors will be reinforced by ten people.
De Lijn checked 2.2 million travelers last year. That is almost 40% more than the previous year. The percentage of fare-dodging in 2024 was 3.8% compared to 4,5% in 2023. The transportation company has seen the number of undeclared travelers decline for several years.
The Flemish coalition agreement stipulates that tackling fare evasion at De Lijn should generate an annual revenue of €30 million.
