Flemish public transport body De Lijn will launch significant reforms on Friday to its service, including the removal of over 6,100 stops and the addition of over 2,300 more.
From Saturday, De Lijn will commence the second phase of its new mobility plan for Flanders, entitled 'Hoppin'.
The reforms aim to optimise bus routes and strengthen services in the busiest areas. Concretely, it entails fewer detours from the main road, flexible buses that can be booked on request up to 30 minutes before a journey, better coordination between different modes of transport, and the creation of new lines and numbers.
Approximately two in three Flemish towns and municipalities will see a reduction in bus stops, with West Flanders, Limburg and municipalities in the Ardennes the most affected. The municipality of Zele, for instance, will lose 51 out of 73 stops – a 53% decrease.
TreinTramBus, an organisation representing Flemish transport users, has expressed "nuanced criticism" of the De Lijn's overhaul. "The buses will run faster, but the total travel time will often be longer for passengers," the body stated. "It will be a step forward for some passengers, but it remains to be seen how big the step backwards for others will be."
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Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters acknowledges that Hoppin's impact must be closely monitored, and both she and De Lijn have promised to keep a close eye on how the new system functions. "Although we do call for the plans to be given a chance first," she told De Tijd.
Hoppin will also be implemented in Brussels-Capital Region from 6 January. The 28 lines currently connecting the region to Flanders will be reduced to 19 from Saturday. The changes aim to simplify transfers between different modes of transport and make the entire system more readable for users.
De Lijn served 245 million passengers in 2022, marking a 30% decrease from average pre-pandemic figures.
