With her petition she wants to draw attention to the impact of the cancellation of the bus line on the local community and the need for alternative transport options.
Jeanine Braekenier, better known as Babousch, is almost 80 years old, but her age does not prevent her from taking action. A few weeks ago she started a petition to protest against the cancellation of the regular bus to the Crematorium stop in Lochristi. Now, during the Gentse Feesten, she is making an extra effort to draw even more attention to her cause. Since the beginning of this year, various De Lijn bus stops and journeys in Ghent have been cancelled, including the scheduled service, which is an important social point of attention for many people. After several weeks of campaigning, Braekenier has already collected more than 2160 signatures.
“I do not want to hand over my signatures to the mayor of Ghent, but I am going to Brussels immediately,” said Jeanine Braekenier when we spoke to her about her action. “I want to hand over the petition to the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, Minister Lydia Peeters.” At the moment, the stop is still served by a dial-a-bus, but Braekenier does not think that is sufficient. As a proud Ghent resident living in Ledeberg, she mainly wants to show with the petition that the population should be listened to better. “I'm not just doing it for myself, young people are also signing the petition. With the signatures I want to show that it is necessary to reverse this situation.”
With her walker we see her walking from terrace to terrace on the Koornmarkt to collect autographs. When people from the Netherlands want to support her petition, she sharply indicates that the signature is not valid. She only wants valid signatures on her list because she intends to get a solution. This is also the essence of the basic accessibility that Lydia Peeters is talking about – a major public transport plan that will be introduced in Ghent in January next year.
“What started as a personal frustration quickly grew into a broader issue,” says Braekenier. “I realized that I was not the only one affected by the disappearance of this bus line. Many people, especially the elderly, suffer from this. It is important that we speak up and stand up for our rights.”
Jeanine Braekenier finds it incomprehensible that visitors to the crematorium, who depend on public transport, can no longer easily come to a funeral ceremony since the bus stop at the Westlede crematorium in Lochristi was abolished. It is already certain that she will go to the cabinet of Flemish Minister of Mobility Peeters. Although her goal was to collect 3000 signatures, the counter on the first day of the Gentse Feesten is at 2160 when we speak to her.
At the cabinet of Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters, she was told that she would receive a consultation with the minister from 3000 signatures.
It is difficult to understand why transport company De Lijn canceled the bus stop of line 76 at the crematorium at the beginning of this year. This stop is of great importance to many people, even though there may be fewer travelers during the day compared to other stops. The nearest stop is on the busy Antwerpsesteenweg, a considerable distance away which is almost impossible for elderly people with walking difficulties to reach.
