Bus Company Halts Fan Transport for Club Brugge Major Matches After Barcelona Fan Sets Bus Alight

Drivers for a Belgian transport company have announced they will no longer transport fans to the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges for major matches. This decision comes after a bus caught fire on Wednesday evening, prior to the UEFA Champions League clash between Club Brugge and Barcelona.

According to the VRT network, trade unions representing the drivers have intensified their demands, calling for an immediate halt to fan transport services for such high-profile events, citing a series of previous incidents.

Petra De Boever, a union member, stated: "We have previously encountered a number of incidents with fans, including acts of vandalism. The peak of these events was last night's fire."

Initial reports indicate that a Barcelona supporter ignited a firecracker inside the bus, which was transporting Barça fans to the stadium. This action caused the vehicle to catch fire, though no injuries were reported.

The union spokesperson added: "This incident was the straw that broke the camel's back for our drivers. The problem for us is that the safety of drivers is no longer guaranteed."

She also criticized the absence of security monitoring inside buses transporting fans, explaining that police escorts are limited to regulating traffic and do not extend to ensuring the safety of drivers inside the vehicles.