Last Saturday, the federal and local police in Flemish Brabant carried out a large-scale inspection targeting buses, taxis, and other forms of passenger transport.
The operation aimed to ensure passenger safety, combat abuse in the sector, and enforce compliance with social and traffic regulations. The necessity of such controls became evident when a bus violated the tonnage restrictions on the Vilvoorde viaduct and collided with the height barrier.
In the weekends, heavy vehicles are prohibited on the Vilvoorde viaduct due to ongoing roadworks. Despite these restrictions, the bus defied the ban and struck the height limitation.
The collision shattered the bus’s glass roof panels, causing pieces of glass to fall inside the vehicle. Fortunately, none of the passengers were injured. Following consultation with the prosecutor’s office, the driver’s licence was immediately revoked for 15 days. The transport company arranged a replacement bus, allowing passengers to continue their journey.
The inspection was organised by Centrex, a national expert network comprising traffic specialists from federal and local police, in collaboration with social inspection services RSZ, RVA, RSVZ, and the Immigration Office. A total of 92 vehicles were checked, resulting in over €12,000 in fines.
During the operation, a French driver of a long-distance bus was caught driving under the influence of drugs. Three individuals were also administratively detained for illegal residence. Inspectors identified multiple labour-related violations, including irregularities in part-time work declarations, non-compliance with Dimona registrations, and misuse of sick leave and unemployment benefits.
