It has long been known that the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn is in cost-cutting mode – the Flemish government imposed a 44 million-euro cost-cutting measure on De Lijn, specifically on the 15 transportation regions.
De Lijn has now announced that on July 1 it will implement changes to approximately one in three lines in Flanders, affecting more than 320 of the roughly 1,000 lines. More than 40 lines will also be eliminated.
While some political parties describe the decision as a violation of the decree, the socialist trade union ACOD is calling for legal action against De Lijn’s budget cuts.
Changes are quite diverse
In percentage terms, the most changes – particularly to routes and trips with low ridership – are taking place in the transport regions of Ghent (37 out of 86 routes), Kortrijk (17 out of 31), Midwest (13 out of 25), Ostend (9 out of 19), the Flemish Ardennes (23 out of 46), and Waasland (13 out of 21).
The numbers are highest in the major transport regions, with changes to 76 lines (out of 214) in Limburg, 42 lines (out of 138) in Leuven, and 23 lines out of 128 in Antwerp.
The changes – starting May 18, passengers will be able to view the schedule using De Lijn’s route planner in the app and on the website – are also quite diverse: ranging from eliminated routes to reduced frequencies, the elimination of, for example, morning or evening trips, or a different route. Some routes are being expanded to accommodate other changes, and occasionally a new route is added.
The changes planned by De Lijn were met with significant protest from the transport regions. Some of their alternative proposals were considered if they “met all the objectives.” But in the end, the protest did not achieve much, although the final word on the matter has not yet been spoken.
“Transport councils systematically ignored”
For example, the socialist trade union ACOD is calling on the regional transport councils not to accept the millions in cuts and to “consider all possible legal steps” to ensure their right to be heard.
The union complains that the recommendations of the transport regions are “systematically ignored,” even though the Flemish government intended to give local authorities more say through its Basic Accessibility Decree. “It is particularly cynical that these same local authorities are once again being sidelined today.”
“Apparently, it is possible to free up tens of millions of euros at the federal level for car subsidies, but investing in strong public transportation is supposedly not possible? This is not about resources, but about priorities,” the union states.
“Systemic dismantling”
The catholic ACV Public Services union, on the other hand, describes these major changes as “a fundamental dismantling of public transportation services.” The union criticizes the timing of service cuts, which are being made at the very moment an energy crisis is looming, and argues that certain groups, such as the elderly and shift workers, will be particularly affected.
Furthermore, it speaks of a “systemic dismantling.” “For many residents, these services are their only connection to work, school, healthcare, or social activities. Mobility is not a matter of cost-benefit analysis, but a fundamental right and a public service. Transport poverty is therefore looming in numerous regions and municipalities across Flanders,” the union states.
And just like ACOD, it wonders whether the Minister is not flouting the Basic Accessibility Decree by ignoring the protests of various transport regions.
‘Sham participation’
The political party Groen also claims that Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) is violating the decree to implement budget cuts at De Lijn. “This is in flagrant contradiction to both the spirit and the letter of the Basic Accessibility Decree,” says Groen MP Bogdan Vanden Berghe.
“According to the decree, the transport regions have decision-making authority over several routes and lines. With her decision, the Minister is turning local participation into a farce. And in the end, it is the passenger who suffers.” He refers to this as “sham participation” and calls on the Minister to “put the cuts on hold and reverse them.”
Transport deserts
The TreinTramBus passenger association is also unhappy with the new budget cuts and argues that some areas, such as the Aalter-Tielt-Deinze region, are becoming true “transport deserts.” The organization is also deeply dissatisfied with the way the decision was reached.
And just when energy prices are under such pressure, TreinTramBus also finds it illogical to make further cuts to alternatives to the car. “People who don’t have a car or are no longer allowed or able to drive are being left to fend for themselves,” says chairman Peter Meukens. Finally, he also points out that De Lijn has already been “cut to the bone.”
In response to the newspaper De Standaard, the cabinet of Minister De Ridder acknowledges that the timeline was tight and that transparency was not always up to par. However, they state that the cuts had to be implemented by July 1, otherwise even deeper cuts might have been necessary.
