De Lijn CEO Breaks Silence After Fatal Bus Crash
Ann Schoubs, CEO of De Lijn, the Flemish public transport company, has broken her silence in a candid interview following the devastating Buggenhout school bus tragedy that killed four people on May 26. In an interview with De Morgen, Schoubs described the company as “bobbing like a little boat on the water, with 6.9 million captains on shore,” capturing the immense pressure De Lijn faces from an expectant public and a fragmented oversight system.
The Buggenhout Tragedy
On the morning of May 26, a school minibus operating route 137 was struck by a train at the Vierhuizen level crossing in Buggenhout, East Flanders. The crash killed four people: the 49-year-old bus driver Noureddine Zerrouak, 27-year-old bus attendant Anke, and two schoolboys aged 15 and 12, Mohamed Reda and Arthur. Five other children were seriously injured but have since been reported out of danger.
The bus was operated by ‘t Ros Beiaard Autocars, a subcontractor for De Lijn, and was transporting students from special education schools.
A System That Failed
In the days following the accident, a troubling picture emerged. Multiple bus attendants had repeatedly complained about the driver’s behavior before the crash — citing mobile phone use while driving, speeding, failure to stop at level crossings, and reckless driving. Children reportedly felt unsafe, with some becoming ill from the driving.
As VRT NWS reported on June 1, complaints were lodged with the school, the bus company, and the Province of East Flanders. Yet no action was taken. The school and bus company reportedly told attendants no other driver was available.
Most critically, De Lijn — the contracting authority responsible for overseeing the service — was completely in the dark. “I only heard six days after the bus accident that there were driving complaints about the driver,” Schoubs told De Morgen. Before the crash, De Lijn was only aware of two minor speeding violations in a 30 km/h zone and a non-driving-related conflict between an attendant and the driver from autumn 2024.
According to The Brussels Times, the revelation has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about accountability in student transport.
The CEO’s Defense
Schoubs did not shy away from the scale of the challenge. “With 2,100 trips per day, we can’t possibly know what’s happening everywhere,” she told De Morgen, as the interview also covered the operational realities of managing a sprawling network. She cautioned against painting the entire sector “as cowboys,” noting that many professional drivers operate safely and responsibly every day.
Her remarks reflect the tension between public expectations and operational reality. De Lijn manages an enormous network with limited direct oversight of subcontractors — a system that the Buggenhout tragedy has exposed as dangerously fragmented.
New Measures Announced
In direct response to the crisis, De Lijn has announced a new complaint register system. The company has agreed with its transport partners to establish a centralized database of all complaints regarding operators. De Lijn will be able to consult this register and intervene more quickly when problems arise.
This represents a significant policy shift. Previously, complaints about subcontractor drivers could be lodged with schools, bus companies, or provincial authorities — but there was no requirement for them to reach De Lijn. The new system aims to close that gap.
Broader Pressures on De Lijn
The interview comes at a time of intense strain for the Flemish transport operator. De Lijn has faced years of budget cuts, including an additional €30 million in reductions announced in September 2025. The company cut 3,200 bus stops in early 2024 as part of its “basisbereikbaarheid” (basic accessibility) reform, and continues to struggle with driver shortages and unfilled vacancies.
As VRT NWS noted in earlier reporting, the company also faces the challenge of transitioning to an emission-free fleet by 2035 — a project estimated to cost €3 billion — while passenger numbers have been slow to recover from a 40% drop during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Comes Next
The Buggenhout tragedy has opened deeper questions about the safety of student transport in Flanders. The transport union BTB-ABVV has warned against the “criminalization” of bus drivers, with union head Frank Moreels stating that “a serious accident deserves a thorough investigation” and that the deceased driver should not be “immediately condemned before all the facts are known.”
For Schoubs and De Lijn, the path forward involves restoring public trust while managing the competing pressures of budget constraints, operational complexity, and the emotional aftermath of a tragedy that has shaken Flanders. The effectiveness of the new complaint register — and whether it will be mandatory for all subcontractors — will be closely watched by families, politicians, and the 6.9 million “captains” who depend on safe, reliable public transport.