Antwerp parties agree on new Antwerp tram network: “It is insufficient” (Antwerp)
A lot has already been said about the current tram plan with the cancellation of tram lines 4 and 15, among other things. The applause for alderman Koen Kennis from the PVDA benches was even remarkable. PVDA faction leader Peter Mertens mainly on the lack of money to develop quality public transport in Antwerp.
“Negotiations are taking place with the noose around the neck,” says Mertens. “And that noose has a name: budget neutrality. As long as you don’t get rid of that, every plan will also be a scrapping plan, because for everything you want in, things will disappear too. I support you, dear ships, when you say that the current budget is insufficient for efficient public transport. That is absolutely correct.”
ramp
Green party leader Imade Annouri did not understand that the bad plan that was replaced in 2020 by an even worse plan. Among other things, he is concerned with the phasing out of frequencies at the new Park&Ride on the Left Bank, the lack of good transfer stops and poor traffic flow. Annour also argues for more investment.
“If these conditions are not met, then this tram plan will become a disaster plan,” says Annouri.
CD&V municipal councilor Sam Voeten said he was in advance of a transfer model, but water was now in front of it, it was not at all. According to him, too many trams were sent to the pre-metro tubes, which work together there.
Concerns were also expressed among the majority. Koen Laenens (N-VA) pointed to the preconditions that were not met. He did believe in the transfer model. “Users will eventually get used to this when they notice the benefits,” says Laenens.
Forward faction Hicham El Mzairh also organized the consensus among the parties on this plan. He called on his colleagues to pull the same string and ask for more resources for public transport. “Wanting to do more with resources just doesn’t work,” says El Mzairh.
starting point
Schepen Kennis took on the protection of De Lijn, which acted on the proposal of the tram network. “De Lijn has to do a complex exercise with the puzzle pieces it has,” says Kennis.
He was good fun. “The plan that is now before us is a starting point. This is step one, but a second and possibly third step is definitely needed. This concerns the expansion of trams and possibly also expansion of the tram network. Everything is still evolving. Is the plan finished? No not yet. I share the opinion of many here about the preconditions.”
Vlaams Belang councilor Filip Dewinter missed one point throughout the debate: safety on public transport. He argued for more supervision via a metro brigade, more cameras and a blacklist for amok makers.