The Minister did point out that half of the buses are owned by subcontractors of De Lijn
All driver's stations on De Lijn vehicles will be made lockable. Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters said this in parliament after a question from Bert Maertens. The commitment by Peeters also came in response to the incident last Thursday in Bruges where a De Lijn bus driver was attacked by a passenger.
The driver was able to notify his employer via the emergency button and some passengers on the bus called the police. The man suffered an eye socket fracture and will be unable to work until at least the end of the month. The unions of transport company De Lijn took action at the stations of Bruges and Kortrijk. They wanted to draw attention to violence against De Lijn staff.
"With the new buses, it is foreseen that a complete closure is possible. At the same time, a roll-out will also be done with the existing buses."
The Minister did point out that half of the buses are in the hands of subcontractors of De Lijn and they make their own choices. According to Peeters, a fixed closure, but also a flexible system is possible. In the latter case, the drivers can press a button to close their mail.
