On Monday afternoon, an elderly man was killed after being stabbed on a De Lijn bus in Antwerp. The police were able to arrest a suspect quickly. The transport union ABVV-BTB points out that there have been many incidents on the line in the past and demands immediate structural measures.
The incident took place at around 2.30 pm at Linkeroever in Antwerp. In addition to the fatal victim, two other people were injured, including the bus driver. They were taken to the hospital for treatment. The police do not currently believe there is any connection between the perpetrator and the victim(s). Initial findings point to a random knife attack.
“Today’s fatal stabbing is the sad low point of a spiral of violence that has been ignored for far too long”
The knife attack took place on a bus on line 36. In recent months, there have been regular reports of incidents of physical violence, verbal aggression and vandalism on this line. According to transport union ABVV-BTB, in the past six months, a driver was seriously injured, buses were pelted with stones and a seat was set on fire. “Today’s fatal stabbing is the sad low point of a spiral of violence that has been ignored for far too long,” the union declared.
Visible protection
The union is demanding urgent negotiations with management, De Lijn, the city council and the police. In addition to the negotiations, the union is also calling for visible protection of drivers during risky moments (via the police or security companies) and mandatory security on buses in the form of cameras, secure driver’s cabs and bodycams.
“The safety of our drivers is no longer a matter for negotiation, it is an absolute condition”
The union is also demanding an adjustment to the timetable of bus line 36 to avoid dangerous stops. “Enough is enough. The safety of our drivers is no longer a matter for negotiation, it is an absolute condition,” stated the union.
