It may seem like a small detail, but it led to a storm of reactions in Belgium.
Popular train conductor Ilyass Alba was formally charged for saying “bonjour-goedemorgen” via the intercom at a stop in Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant. According to the strict language rules that apply in Flanders, he should have only addressed his passengers in Dutch at that moment. The complaint, filed with the Permanent Commission for Language Supervision, was upheld.
The Belgian railway company NMBS responded immediately to the incident and is now calling for more flexibility in language regulations. “We don’t want robotic train conductors who are afraid to speak warmly to passengers,” says NMBS spokesman Dimitri Temmerman. “Our conductors must be able to adapt to the reality of the moment, especially in a multilingual country like Belgium.”
strict language rules
Alba, who according to the reporting in Het Nieuwsblad has a large fan base thanks to his social media posts about daily life on the railways, reported the complaint himself. The incident took place when his train was travelling near Vilvoorde, just a minute away from the border with the bilingual Brussels Region. Different rules apply there: bilingual announcements are permitted, with the order of the languages depending on the conductor's native language.
However, Vilvoorde is located entirely in Flanders, where regulations dictate that only Dutch may be used in communication with passengers. The digital signs on the train must also only show information in Dutch. The passenger who filed the complaint emphasized that the greeting in French was a violation of these rules. According to the NMBS, this incident exposes the limitations of the current language legislation.
practice
The language rules for train conductors are laid down in complex legislation that strictly monitors the language borders in Belgium. In Flanders, Dutch is the only official language. In Brussels, which is officially bilingual, conductors are allowed to make their announcements in both Dutch and French. Trains to Zaventem airport are an exception: there, the use of four languages (Dutch, French, English and German) is permitted, regardless of location.
Although the complaint was formally upheld, NMBS wants to prevent such situations from escalating in the future. The transport company is therefore calling for a more flexible framework that gives conductors the space to adapt to specific situations.
Dimitri Temmerman explains: “In Brussels, the order of the languages depends on the native language of the 'chef de bord'. A Dutch-speaking train conductor starts in Dutch, while a French-speaking one starts in French.” However, the strict observance of these rules in Flanders seems to raise more and more questions in situations such as Alba's.
The incident has revived the discussion about the applicability of the language legislation. According to critics, the complaint against Alba shows that the rules no longer correspond to reality. "We do not want pigeonholing, but a hospitable service that reflects the diversity of our society," says Temmerman.
On social media, many passengers expressed their support for Alba. They praised his friendliness and his dedication to making the train experience as pleasant as possible. Some called the complaint “absurd” and “symbolic politics”. For Alba himself, the case is a lesson in how sensitive language issues can be in Belgium.
Source: Belga
