We read a very remarkable story in the Nieuwsblad about Ann Teurlings (57) and her daughter Ili (13) who have been waiting for more than a week for news about their luggage after a Flixbus driver left them during a pee break in a highway restaurant. They weren't back from that urination in time, Flixbus says. A search for their luggage was unsuccessful for the time being.

“We don't count how many people are on the bus and whether everyone is back on board. We also don't wait, because that is not correct for all other passengers who arrive on time, ”says Rosa Donat of Flixbus.

In Tessenderlo, the bus leaves the motorway for a short break for the driver and for the other passengers who have been on the bus for much longer than they have. The driver announces that they will leave again at 22.15:22.19 PM. First Ann and her daughter don't have to go to the toilet, then suddenly they do. When they arrive at the bus at XNUMX:XNUMX PM, it appears that it has left.

Without luggage, without identity papers.

“We then made a call to Flixbus because all our luggage and our instruments that we had with us were still on the bus. And also our papers. We were advised on the phone to get to Luxembourg on our own, where we had to change trains, ”says Rosa Teurlings of Flixbus.

At the moment, they still do not know whether mother and daughter can be reimbursed if the luggage is lost permanently. In addition to clothing, these include musical instruments.

Traveling by bus was the last option for decades. Dirty, old buses, overflowing toilets and painfully slow reaching your destination. The image that Flixbus strives for is young, cheap, green and innovative.

Last year, the Radio2 program 'De Inspecteur' dealt with a number of complaints from travelers who lost luggage. The conclusion then was that you can travel cheaply with Flixbus, but that those who get into trouble are left to their own devices.