De Lijn is under fire after an incident in which a young man with autism and ADHD was fined for not scanning his season ticket.
His mother, Ellen, expressed her frustration after having to pay a total of two fines of 30 and 50 euros. Despite her explanation of her son's disability, she was not heard by De Lijn. The Flemish transport company has a strict policy whereby all passengers must scan their ticket, regardless of their situation. This has led to criticism from the Flemish Human Rights Institute, which speaks of possible discrimination.
The issue was raised in the consumer programme 'WinWin' on Radio 2, where Ellen told her story. Her son, who attends special education and receives a free subscription to De Lijn from the government, has difficulty scanning his card every time he boards. Especially at the end of the school day, when his medication has worn off and he becomes overstimulated, he sometimes completely forgets. This led to a fine, which De Lijn described as 'justified', since there are no exceptions for people with a disability.
unacceptable
According to the Flemish Human Rights Institute, this is unacceptable. Director David Stevens emphasizes that people with disabilities should be able to participate fully in society, without physical or social barriers. "Such stories could be seen as discrimination based on health status. There are rules on how to deal with people with disabilities, and these must be respected."
However, De Lijn is sticking to its position that scanning is essential for the time being. According to spokesman Frederik Wittock, it is not only intended to track down fare dodgers, but also to better understand how many people use which journey. This would help to optimise the service.
However, there are exceptions within De Lijn's policy. Blind and partially sighted people do not have to scan their ticket. This raises the question of why this cannot be extended to other people with a disability. "This causes many people to drop out of public transport, while it should be an accessible way to get around," says Stevens.
After the criticism, De Lijn promises to do better. In an interview with 'WinWin', the transport company says that the incident is regretted and that a solution is being worked on. "Our inspectors and the fine management have to follow a procedure, and unfortunately there is little room to look at the bigger picture. The Flemish government expects us to tackle antisocial behavior, but we realize that a nuance is needed here."
BlueAssist
That is why De Lijn wants to revive the old BlueAssist system. This system, which previously existed but disappeared, allows people with disabilities to make themselves known without having to scan their ticket every time. They would be able to show their smartphone or a recognizable symbol to inspectors, which would avoid fines such as in the case of Ellen's son. De Lijn is discussing this with organizations such as GiPSo and hopes to be able to introduce a new scheme in the short term.
