De Lijn contractor - Gruson Autobus 357126 (4509 P) in Poperinge - 5 Feb 1996

Monday 5 February 1996 (approx. 1643) – Gruson Autobus 357126 (4509 P) seen in Grote Markt, Poperinge when operating the 1620 De Lijn service 69b from Ieper to Abele. It is a Jonckheere Trans City bodied DAF SB210 new in June 1982.

In addition to operating its own vehicles De Lijn, the national bus and tramway company of northern Belgium, employs numerous contractors whose vehicles carry six digit fleet numbers – the first four are the De Lijn contract number and the remaining two are the operators own fleet number. Therefore this is Gruson 26 operating De Lijn contract 3571.

De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen). This bus still carried a NMVB livery.