Upsurge in public transport users

7 March 2005

BRUSSELS – More people than ever before are using the Brussels public transport system, new figures have revealed.

The public transport authority STIB said it registered 239.3 million passengers using its networks in 2004.

This represents an 8.6 percent rise in passengers since the 220.4 million recorded in 2003.

The majority of travellers opt for the metro, with busses and trams sharing the remaining 50 percent equally between them.

But STIB director general Alain Flausch said the network had also become a victim of its own success.

He said STIB was looking forward to the arrival of a new genration of longer trams that would be able to carry more passengers.

Subject: Belgian news