“According to witnesses, the young man went crazy after the driver allegedly missed a stop at the Menin Gate. The driver received several blows in the face and then the perpetrator started running,” says Frederick Wittock, spokesperson for De Lijn.
Spontaneous strike
The incident led to a spontaneous strike among the drivers at the depots in Kortrijk and Geluwe. “All drivers entered the depot on Monday morning around 9 a.m. and refused to get to work after being told the story of the incident,” said Alain Haegheman, trade union representative of the ACV.
“We then consulted with the management of the transport company, because this was one incident too many. The number of cases of verbal and physical aggression at De Lijn has recently increased. We cannot accept this.”
Additional controller
The affected driver was taken to hospital after the incident. His face was stitched up in several places. “The incident not only has a physical impact, it will also take a while for the victim to process this experience mentally,” says Petra Depoorter of the ACOD.
“Fortunately, the consultation with De Lijn has also yielded something. From Tuesday, an extra inspector will ride on line 40, the line in question where the incident took place. In addition, work will be done as quickly as possible on a closed steering position for the bus on which the facts occurred. Just like for all other older buses that are not yet equipped with a closed steering position.”
Curb physical aggression
The unions confirm that service will resume as usual on Tuesday from the Kortrijk and Geluwe depots. In the meantime, all parties emphasize that physical aggression must be severely curbed.
“I am happy that a suspect was arrested by the police,” says Petra Depoorter. “Good work by the Vlas police zone, especially because there was no camera in such an older bus type. But apparently they quickly had an idea of the identity of the suspect, which could be given by some witnesses on the bus.”
The suspect, an 18-year-old from Wevelgem, was arrested on Monday late afternoon. After questioning, the Kortrijk public prosecutor’s office will determine what will happen to the young man.
