De Lijn contractor - Gruson Autobus 357130 (3271 P) in Poperinge - 5 Feb 1996

Monday 5 February 1996 (approx. 1625) – Gruson Autobus 357130 (3271 P), a Jonckheere Trans City bodied Volvo B10R-55 new in February 1990, seen in Grote Markt, Poperinge operating the schooldays only 1622 Poperinge-Dranouter-Nieuwkerke De Lijn service 741. The young lady about to board the bus appears to have a very well packed school satchel!

Gruson Autobus works a number of contracts on behalf of De Lijn, the national bus and tramway company of northern Belgium.

De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn), created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen), operates its own large bus and tram fleet which carry four digit fleet numbers but the buses operated by contractors carry six digit fleet numbers – the first four digits relate to the De Lijn contract number with the final two digits are the operators own fleet number.

The livery carried by this bus is an amalgam of the two company liveries. In its final form the NMVB scheme featured the blue lines on white as seen here but with an orange skirt. However the replacing De Lijn livery featured a grey skirt without the blue lines which would later be replaced with two wide diagonal yellow bands incorporating the fleet name.