Belgian bus driver tests positive for alcohol near site of fatal crash
A 't Ros Beiaard driver failed an alcohol test near the Buggenhout rail crossing where a crash killed four people in June, transport operator De Lijn said.
A bus driver working for 't Ros Beiaard, a subcontractor for Belgian transport operator De Lijn, tested positive for alcohol during a check on Tuesday morning near the school Richtpunt Campus in Buggenhout, East Flanders, close to the railway crossing where a bus crash killed four people in June, De Morgen reported.
The check was carried out as part of routine driver testing at the school site, De Morgen reported. The driver is believed to have stayed out after watching a Belgium national football team match the evening before and tested positive the following morning.
De Lijn spokesman Jens Van Herp confirmed the check and said the driver had blown positive. "For our drivers it is absolutely forbidden to drink anything. We are very strict about this and it is absolutely not done," he said, according to De Morgen. He said the driver worked for subcontractor 't Ros Beiaard, which must now decide on further action.
The Buggenhout/Lebbeke police zone was aware of the check but did not comment further on the findings, De Morgen reported. The identical account was separately reported by Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Belang van Limburg.
It is the second such case involving a 't Ros Beiaard driver since the fatal crash. A month after the crash, the company dismissed another driver after he had drunk what De Morgen described as "one glass of wine" before a school run.
The June crash, at the same railway crossing, killed a bus driver, an assistant and two pupils, according to De Morgen's earlier reporting on the incident referenced in Tuesday's account.
What we know
- A 't Ros Beiaard driver, working as a De Lijn subcontractor, tested positive for alcohol on Tuesday morning near Buggenhout.
- The check took place near the railway crossing where a bus crash killed four people in June.
- De Lijn confirmed the positive test and said the subcontractor must decide on further action.
- A different 't Ros Beiaard driver was dismissed a month after the fatal crash for drinking before a school run.
Why it matters for Europe
The case raises fresh questions about safety oversight at the school bus operator only months after a crash at the same rail crossing killed a driver, an assistant and two pupils. Repeated alcohol violations by drivers serving the same school route are likely to add pressure on regulators and the operator to tighten checks.
The checks that caught both drivers took place at or near school sites, underlining that the alcohol testing regime is focused on routes used by children, in the immediate aftermath of a crash that already killed two pupils on the same crossing.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Gazet van Antwerpen: Opnieuw chauffeur van Ros Beiaard betrapt onder invloed, dicht bij plek van dodelijk ongeval aan spooroverweg
- Het Nieuwsblad: Opnieuw chauffeur van Ros Beiaard betrapt onder invloed, dicht bij plek van dodelijk ongeval aan spooroverweg
- Het Belang van Limburg: Opnieuw chauffeur van Ros Beiaard betrapt onder invloed, dicht bij plek van dodelijk ongeval aan spooroverweg
- De Morgen: Opnieuw chauffeur van ’t Ros Beiaard betrapt met alcohol vlak bij de plek van dodelijk busongeval in Buggenhout
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Questions and answers
- What happened near Buggenhout?
- A 't Ros Beiaard bus driver, working as a De Lijn subcontractor, tested positive for alcohol during a check on Tuesday morning near a local school.
- Why is the location significant?
- The check took place near the railway crossing where a bus crash killed four people, including the driver, an assistant and two pupils, in June.
- Has this happened before?
- Yes. A different 't Ros Beiaard driver was dismissed a month after the fatal crash after drinking before a school run, De Lijn said.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.