Public Transportation in Brussels: On the Way to Modernisation
For the past few years, Brussels is constantly under construction or renovation: more bicycle paths, bigger pavements… Between roadworks, traffic jams and the speed limit going down at 30km/hour, the city is slowly turning into a nightmare for drivers.
As people are slowly giving up on using the car, many other options are available: bicycle, e-scooters and public transportation. However, can the STIB/MIVB keep up with the increasing number of commuters? What are they doing to provide better service to overcome the demand? Let’s dive right into it.
Level Up
Generally speaking, Paris and London often come up as cities providing very efficient, fast and short waiting time public transportation. Of course, these are way bigger and more dense capitals, but what is Brussels concretely doing to restore its image?
Based on an article published on the official STIB/MIVB website, modernisation is on its way! Since there are more and more commuters, improving the network is a priority. They’re mainly focusing on the metro by increasing the number of metros (lines 1 to 5) and by launching a brand new metro model, the M7.
What’s particular about it? It’s bigger, more luminous, has air conditioning, more screens providing information in real time, comfortable seats, more safety and automated doors. It’s about time!
Have you tried it yet? To be fully honest, it does feel safer and it’s always reassuring to know exactly where you’re going instead of looking if this is the right stop.
What About Tramways and Busses?
Ok, improving the metro is one thing, but what about tramways and busses? Some lines should definitely get more tramways or longer ones, especially during rush hour.
Regarding busses, hybrid models have been on the road for a while now, but let’s face it, the waiting time desperately needs improvement. Furthermore, some areas are not well served at all in Brussels, forcing people to juggle between trains or even other companies, such as Tec or De Lijn.
Bottom Line
Brussels is slowly but surely changing for the best in terms of public transportation. Commuters are finally getting the comfort and efficiency they deserve, but there’s still a lot to improve.
STIB/MIVB is currently working on a new metro line project but since experts are warning that it would result in mobility deteriorating, we’re not out of the woods yet. Stay tuned for more Brussels twists!
