Forget the night, say bus drivers 30/01/2007 00:00

30 January 2007

BRUSSELS - Just days after the accident that claimed the lives ofseveral Belgian nationals in Germany, bus drivers, backed by theiremployers, expressed their disapproval of night shifts.

"All serious accidents take place at night", said Guy Van Hyfte, busdriver and labour union member.

Furthermore, many companies do not respect the legislation limitingdriving time. Passengers' testimonials collected by the Belgian mediagroup Corelio, show that drivers often drive too much without takingsufficient rest. Plus, the co-driver does not always rest while theircolleague takes the wheel.

Yves Mannaerts, the director of the Fédération belge des entreprisesd'autobus - a federation representing bus companies, said that suchbehaviour is against the law, and that bus drivers should rest, even ifthe sleeping conditions are less then optimal, in the narrow cabinlocated next to the engine where drivers are expected to rest.

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Subject: Belgian news