1 in 4 bus stops in West Flanders have been canceled as of today. A lot of people are displeased and that is why there is the protest action that started at exactly five to twelve. The VSOV, the United Supporters of Public Transport, does not agree with this transport plan. The VSOV is an association of citizens, mobility platforms and local action groups, and the Christian and socialist trade union. Today they are taking action in the five Flemish capitals, including Bruges. In the West Flemish provincial capital, there are about 50 activists protesting at the station.
The new flex buses and Hoppin points are intended to accommodate the canceled bus stops and call buses, but there is also uncertainty about this. “If people have to go to the clinic, or they have to go to work, we have to be sure that they can without a doubt take that flex bus, and there is no certainty about that and there are far too few resources for that,” says Dirk Smet of the VSOV.
Flemish MP Annick Lambrecht (Vooruit) also makes her voice heard: “Transport poverty is really being created. People who don’t have the money to buy a car themselves are really left out in the cold. 1 in 4 stops in West Flanders disappearing, 262 in Bruges alone, that is very bad for those who do not have a car.”