Last year, 68 drivers at the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn were caught using alcohol or drugs. This marks another increase compared to previous years, when 62 and 57 drivers were caught during preventive checks, respectively.
According to Flemish Member of Parliament and CD&V faction leader Peter Van Rompuy, who requested the figures, the increase reflects a broader societal trend that is difficult for a single employer to reverse on its own. Nevertheless, he expects De Lijn to enforce a zero-tolerance policy.
Call for more checks and harsher penalties
What stands out in the figures is that more drivers are caught using drugs than alcohol during inspections. For example, last year De Lijn caught 45 drivers using drugs, compared to ‘only’ 23 drivers for drinking too much.
According to Peter Van Rompuy, this increase reflects the rise in drug use throughout society. His party, CD&V, is calling for significantly more checks and, if necessary, harsher penalties, given the rising numbers.
Almost 7,000 alcohol and drug tests
Anyone at De Lijn who tests positive on a preventive alcohol or drug test will be temporarily suspended. In addition, employees who are caught must participate in a counseling program and undergo regular alcohol and drug tests for six months. If drivers are caught using alcohol or drugs during a police check while on the job, they can be fired on the spot.
De Lijn’s management emphasizes that the transport company has long made it clear to drivers that alcohol and drugs are “absolutely unacceptable” and that it conducts regular checks.
In 2025, De Lijn conducted 6,900 alcohol tests and administered drug tests to drivers 3,500 times. This represents a slight increase in the number of tests compared to 2024. Of those tests, 0.6% were positive.
Pan-European phenomenon
De Lijn conducts preventive alcohol and drug checks at its own depots, but not at subcontractor depots – private bus companies that operate routes for De Lijn. Plus: due to high staff turnover and a chronic driver shortage, De Lijn is under pressure to retain its employees.
The phenomenon of rising drug use among drivers is a pan-European one. Even Scandinavia, which often has much stricter alcohol and drug policies than Belgium when it comes to driving, is not immune to it.
