Over six months since its introduction, criticism of De Lijn’s new transport plan continues to mount, with particular focus on the gaps in the public transport network. The flexible transport system, which relies on buses on demand, is not functioning efficiently according to a report by De Tijd. Since its large-scale introduction on January 6, flex buses have covered more than 7.5 million kilometers. However, out of these, over 4.2 million kilometers were driven with only a driver in the van, meaning that buses traveled without passengers for approximately 56% of the kilometers and hours driven on the road.
It is important to note that it is inevitable for kilometers to be traveled without passengers in a system with on-demand buses. With flex buses, it is not always practical for them to be immediately close to a stop where someone requests a ride and they cannot always pick up new passengers immediately when another gets off. The kilometers on the way to a boarding point also factor into the calculation. According to De Lijn spokesperson Marco Demerling: “For a system that aims to accommodate very individual journeys in mainly rural areas, it is unrealistic to expect that the vast majority of kilometers can be done loaded.”
Flex transport was introduced by De Lijn as an alternative way of providing public transport in places where there was insufficient demand for a fixed timetable line. The system is designed to accommodate very individual journeys and especially in rural areas where demand for a fixed line was too limited. However, this has resulted in criticisms from those who believe that it does not provide adequate coverage and that it is not efficient enough.