The 1,000th electric bus is entering service in Flanders’ public transport system. “A milestone in the transition to greener transport,” is how it’s described. Of those 1,000 e-buses, more than 700 are operated by private bus companies contracted by De Lijn.<\/p>\n
De Lijn itself currently has nearly 300 e-buses on the road. However, the public transit company is in the midst of a massive catch-up effort: In 2025 alone, De Lijn ordered more than 650 new e-buses, thanks to a 400-million-euro investment from the Flemish government, which will enter service in phases over the coming years.<\/p>\n
However, the transition to a greener fleet also requires adapted charging infrastructure, energy supply, and maintenance. But the number of depots where the buses need to charge is lagging, creating a potential bottleneck.<\/p>\n
Still 2,800 to go. That’s another way to summarize the news about the introduction of the 1,000th e-bus, because De Lijn aims to have 3,800 electric buses in service by 2035 (2,250 buses operated by De Lijn, approximately 1,550 via subcontractors)<\/p>\n
This, of course, comes with a hefty price tag. The total cost of making public transportation emission-free by 2035 is estimated at 3,9 to 5,2 billion euros, depending on the work required at the depots.<\/p>\n
That figure covers the transformation of De Lijn itself – the Flemish government supports the operator through per-kilometer reimbursements from De Lijn, as well as through the Ecology Premium+ and tax incentives.<\/p>\n
And although the subcontractors are largely managing on their own – among the private companies working for De Lijn, nearly 45% of their fleet is now electric, compared to 15% for De Lijn – the expansion of the charging infrastructure and the conversion of depots also remain a major challenge for De Lijn in the coming years.<\/p>\n
“The number of depots must keep pace so that all buses can be charged,” says Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder. “However, this threatens to become a bottleneck. There are legal challenges against some depots here and there.” The minister refers in this context to Wissenhage in Ghent, a complex case. “But we need to get the ball rolling” – De Lijn is currently working on the electrification of depots at some 20 locations across Flanders. “The 1000th electric bus is a sign that Flanders is moving forward,” the minister added.<\/p>\n
Last year, nearly 1,400 drivers also received specialized e-bus training. And it is precisely these e-buses that can help address another issue facing De Lijn: the rise in traffic fines.<\/p>\n
Over the past four years, the number of traffic fines for De Lijn drivers has risen by exactly 41%, from 2,170 in 2022 to 3,054 in 2025. Speeding tickets rose by 49 percent, from 1,781 in 2022 to 2,656 in 2025. There was a particularly sharp increase in speeding violations in 30 km\/h zones, up 77 %, from 845 to 1,494.<\/p>\n
All new buses purchased by De Lijn, such as the BYD and Iveco e-buses, must be equipped with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA). This system uses GPS and cameras to detect the applicable speed limit, such as a 30 km\/h zone near a school.<\/p>\n
If the driver is going too fast, the bus issues a warning (vibration or sound). In the strictest setting, the software can even cut off the fuel or power supply, preventing the bus from exceeding the speed limit.<\/p>\n
It certainly doesn’t help De Lijn’s case that, on the very day those figures were made public, a De Lijn driver under the influence of cocaine crashed head-on into a tractor in Ternat.<\/p>\n
De Lijn is not currently commenting in detail on the incident, which resulted in four people sustaining minor injuries and significant damage. In the case of a serious drug-related accident, dismissal for cause is often followed by criminal prosecution by the police court.<\/p>\n
In 2024, De Lijn conducted over 3,000 preventive drug tests on employees, including both drivers and technicians. Of those tests, 47 were positive. That amounts to approximately 1,5% of the group tested.<\/p>\n
By comparison, during large-scale roadside checks by the federal police, the percentage of drivers under the influence of drugs is often around 0.5% to 1%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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The 1,000th electric bus is entering service in Flanders’ public transport system. “A milestone in the transition to greener transport,” is how it’s described. Of those 1,000 e-buses, more than 700 are operated by private bus companies contracted by De Lijn. De Lijn itself currently has nearly 300 e-buses on the road. However, the public transit company is in the midst of a massive catch-up effort: In 2025 alone, De Lijn ordered more than 650 new e-buses, thanks to a 400-million-euro investment from the Flemish government, which will enter service in phases over the coming years. However, the transition to…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Belgium<\/a>, Climate<\/a>, Environment<\/a>, Industry<\/a>, Mobility<\/a>, Public transport<\/a>, Road safety<\/a>, Technology<\/a>, Top Stories Today<\/a>, Transport<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Luc Joris","url":"https:\/\/newmobility.news\/en\/author\/belga-5\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","yoast_head":"\n