Election choices
We have municipal and provincial elections tomorrow, and I've found it very difficult to make up my mind who to vote for; everyone claims to love our little village in a very special way (and nobody seems to know what the provincial government is for). In an effort to distinguish between them, I emailed all six parties standing in the municipality with my well-chronicled complaints about the evening rail connection in Leuven, apologising for doing so in English. I post the replies from the six parties below in the order that I received them:
I must say that I am impressed that the replies all came in English. These are candidates for office in a small village where Dutch is the only official language (though we are up against the linguistic frontier, bordering Wallonia). I also regret that I chose to write to them on an issue which isn't actually one which they can do much about if elected. But anyway, I think the answers are revealing.
What do you think?
- We will try to get more citizens to use public transportation. When that happens we probably can point out to De Lijn/NMBS [De Lijn is the bus company, NMBS the train company] that they have to increase their frequency. This does not solve your problem entirely (you might still loose 30 minutes) but it is De Lijn/NMBS that decide on their time tables. They might have a good reason for their timetable: If that train is meant to connect with another train somewhere for example. Anyway as you can see there is not an easy solution. Good communcation between the city council and the people of De Lijn/NMBS is the only possibility to solve your problem.
Are there many people that fail to catch their connection? Maybe if we combine it into 1 big complaint/request they might listen to it... - This is in response to your recent inquiry .
I can assure you that after the elections to be held very soon, I shall insist that the NMBS look into and fix the problems you encounter with the train connections concerning Oud Heverlee and St Joris Weert.
I believe that the present situation resulted from budgetary constraints and was done in order to save.
Please be assured that you are not the first and only one to complain about this situation!
I shall do what ever possible to intercede with the NMBS - We're trying to ask the NMBS (train company) to let the trains follow up to another.
I have send your request to them.
As soon that I will receive an answer, I will send you a message.
If you don't hear something from me after one month, please react again. - I will ask the NMBS for more information and I'll try to ask them for a better connection between the train of Brussels and the train of Ottignies.
I know someone personally from the helpservice of the NMBS and I'll try to tell them this problem and ask if it's possible to let the train depart again at 33 minutes past the hour in stead of the 28 minutes past. I won't even wait untill 14 october to ask this. - Sorry for the late answer, but because of the elections next Sunday, we are all very busy.
I will take care of your question next week. - [No reply]
I must say that I am impressed that the replies all came in English. These are candidates for office in a small village where Dutch is the only official language (though we are up against the linguistic frontier, bordering Wallonia). I also regret that I chose to write to them on an issue which isn't actually one which they can do much about if elected. But anyway, I think the answers are revealing.
What do you think?