School Bus Brake Defect Reignites Belgian Vehicle Inspection Reform Debate
A school bus with a life-threatening brake defect was immediately pulled from service during a routine inspection in Londerzeel, Belgium, on May 18, after inspectors discovered that 5 of 6 mounting bolts on the brake caliper were missing. The incident has reignited a heated debate between the vehicle inspection federation GOCA and Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder over planned reforms to the inspection system.
The Incident
The 9-year-old school bus, which had nearly 200,000 kilometers on the odometer and regularly transported children from the Antwerp region, was presented for mandatory inspection. Inspectors found the brake caliper held by just a single bolt — a defect they described as an immediate safety risk. The bus was immediately rejected and prohibited from carrying passengers, as VRT NWS reported.
GOCA shared video footage of the defective brakes on social media, using the incident to underscore what it sees as the dangers of the Flemish government’s planned inspection reforms.
GOCA’s Warning
“That school bus with defective brakes? Without inspection, it would still be driving around,” GOCA spokesperson Dirk Snauwaert told Het Laatste Nieuws. “If that is implemented, the number of inspections will almost halve. With all the consequences for safety.”
GOCA cited data showing that dangerous defects increase significantly with vehicle age and mileage: 8% of 5-year-old cars show dangerous defects, rising to approximately 15% at 10 years. Among vehicles with 200,000 kilometers, 40% are rejected for dangerous defects. In 2025, 482,810 second-hand vehicles were inspected in Flanders, with 17% showing major defects and 2% — more than 800 per month — presenting dangerous defects.
The federation also pointed to a German study suggesting reduced inspection frequency could lead to 31 additional traffic deaths, 98 serious injuries, and 1,161 minor injuries annually, noting that approximately 7% of all accidents are caused by technical defects — more than by alcohol and drugs.
The Minister’s Response
Minister De Ridder responded forcefully, accusing GOCA of defending its monopoly position. “That GOCA is struggling with the loss of its monopoly position is understandable to some extent,” she said. “But it must stop clinging to assumptions based on a study that even the opposition says is far-fetched and that is also contradicted by VIAS.”
She defended the reforms as long-overdue modernization, stating: “We are modernizing the vehicle inspection, making it more customer-friendly, removing the ‘over-inspection’ — where Flanders is stricter than Europe — and eventually allowing other players and garage inspections. With this, we are finally putting an end to archaic and customer-unfriendly practices, without of course making any concessions on road safety.”
The Reforms at a Glance
Scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026, the reforms include extending inspection intervals for cars older than 10 years or with more than 160,000 km from annual to biennial, abolishing the mandatory second-hand vehicle inspection for purchases within Belgium, extending repair periods from 15 days to 2 months after a red card, and allowing recognized garages to perform inspections from the end of 2027, as VRT NWS detailed.
Job Impact
The reforms are projected to eliminate 498 jobs at inspection centers between 2026 and 2030. GOCA’s Snauwaert called the job losses “deeply sad,” noting that these are people trained to inspect cars according to government standards. The Christian trade union ACV Puls warned that “the citizen pays twice: first with less protection on the road and the second-hand market, then through the social and budgetary consequences,” as VRT NWS reported.
Analysis
The conflict represents a fundamental policy dispute between road safety advocates and those seeking consumer convenience and market liberalization. Both sides claim to prioritize safety but interpret the data differently. GOCA’s arguments are data-driven but come from an organization that stands to lose revenue and relevance. The minister’s position — that Flanders has been over-inspecting beyond EU requirements — has political traction, though the specific counter-arguments from VIAS have not been publicly detailed.
What’s Next
The reform is set to take effect on September 1 regardless of GOCA’s objections. The school bus incident provides powerful rhetorical ammunition for opponents, but the minister has shown no sign of backing down. With the implementation date approaching, the coming months will likely see continued public debate as Flanders prepares for the most significant changes to its vehicle inspection system in decades.