Antwerp bus drivers refuse to operate line 36 after fatal stabbing
Drivers on bus line 36 in Antwerp are refusing to work on Tuesday following a fatal stabbing on a bus on Monday.
A 76-year-old man was killed apparently without motive by another passenger on Monday afternoon. A second passenger, aged 60, sustained injuries when he intervened. The bus driver had to be treated for shock.
A 38-year-old suspect was arrested immediately after the events. The exact circumstances are under investigation and police are looking for footage.
Operator De Lijn says it understands the drivers’ position. There is no clarity yet about the coming days. “We hope to have a conversation about that later in the day and communicate about it,” the company said.
"What started with verbal aggression and vandalism has now escalated to physical violence and life-threatening situations"
Police had been called before the stabbing took place after a report of a man behaving suspiciously when boarding the bus, Gazet van Antwerpen reports.
Both men had been on the bus for some time and there are no indications that the two knew each other, a police spokesperson said.
Increased security
The attack is not the first incident of violence on line 36, which has had a bad reputation for several years after cases of vandalism, arson, aggression towards drivers and a shooting with an air gun. Unions are demanding more security measures.
“What started with verbal aggression and vandalism has now escalated to physical violence and life-threatening situations,” a spokesperson for union BTB-ABVV said.
“We try to protect our drivers as much as possible, including by providing locked cabins,” said Annelies Meynaerts of De Lijn. “The police investigation is still ongoing, but with the information we now have, however, it is questionable how this extreme case of violence could have been avoided.”
#FlandersNewsService | Police at the scene of the stabbing on a bus in Antwerp, 16 June 2025 © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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