The unions at De Lijn have decided to strike tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday as well. The buses would only run according to the book during the weekend. This is because the unions still disagree with De Lijn’s decision to close a number of old depots in West Flanders. Such a depot is the place from which the buses leave in the morning. According to De Lijn, this change will have no impact on employment. A number of bus drivers will have to leave from a different location at the start of their shift. And that creates a lot of uncertainty.
Unlike today’s action, the strike for the coming days was not announced in advance. De Lijn has therefore not been able to develop a plan to ensure that a minimum number of buses runs. It also makes it very difficult to predict what impact the action will have on bus traffic. “If we know in advance that a strike is coming, we question our employees,” says spokesperson Marco Demerling, “which gives us a better idea of who will or will not drive and can also work out an alternative. In these types of spontaneous actions “That is not possible. Whenever we hear that a bus will not leave, we delete it from the route planner. As a traveler, it is best to keep a close eye on the route planner.”
