This is a first in Belgium. This summer, young people aged 18 to 24 will be able to use all public transport without distinction with a single subscription valid for one month at a flat rate of 59 euros. Concretely, the user will be able to reach the nearest Walloon station by bus, take the train towards the sea and then a tram to their seaside resort, without any restriction in terms of time slots. When he returns in the evening, he is free to take a detour via the Brussels metro to join a show. SNCB, TEC, STIB and De Lijn with a single ticket… never before has fare integration been achieved at such a level.
The “Youth Holidays Combi” offer will be rolled out from June 29 to September 1. A young person aged 18 to 24 can subscribe for a single month or two. “This will serve as a test for tariff integration, a goal we are pursuing. We will thus be able to assess the appeal of Belgians for these integrated formulas and deploy them more intensively in the future, for example by broadening the audiences and periods like the initiatives taken in other countries such as Germany or Austria. This concept of free travel presents interesting potential in terms of domestic tourism,” estimates Georges Gilkinet, Federal Minister of Mobility.
Mobib card required
The subscription will be made through SNCB sales channels and must be loaded onto a personalized Mobib card. Mobib holders in TEC or STIB version must go to an SNCB counter to format it. The price of 59 euros was set based on the revenue expected by the four operators. “In the future, we can consider a lower price. The idea here is to launch a first operation in terms of technical integration,” specifies the Minister of Mobility. According to him, the subscription will pay off in three mixed trips: “The formula will be interesting if we plan to do one or two music festivals this summer, like Esperanzah or Torhout”.
“Moving freely with fast and efficient connections ensured by coordinated timetables, all using a single transport ticket with a single price, regardless of the mode of travel used: this is the future of mobility”, underlines Georges Gilkinet who deplores that the four networks of our country have ignored each other for too long: “For almost four years, we have been studying and encouraging everything that can simplify the lives of travelers”.
And to conclude: “Some want to fragment our country, starting with rail transport. And others would not hesitate to open the door wide to them, to the very people who dream of dismantling Belgium. However, it is quite the opposite that we need. Build, rather than demolish. Cooperate, rather than dismember. This is how we will offer more efficient and more efficient mobility.”
