Covid-19
The various measures taken by STIB-MIVB and the guidelines to be followed during this health crisis may raise many questions to which you cannot easily find an answer. We have therefore collected the necessary information by theme below.
Don’t forget: for every journey, wear your face mask correctly !
List of links
Frequently Asked Question Covid-19
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What are cleaning measures in the vehicles ?
What hygiene measures should I take?
Please observe the hygiene measures recommended by the authorities, i.e.: wear a face mask properly when it's crowded, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water as often as possible, and especially before and after using public transport. If soap and water are not available, please use a hand sanitiser. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or with a flexed elbow. Use disposable handkerchiefs or facial tissues and throw them away in a closed bin immediately after use. Avoid any close contact. Avoid contact with persons who cough or sneeze. And avoid touching your face.
How are STIB-MIVB vehicles cleaned?
Every vehicle is cleaned each day before leaving our depots. Particular attention is being paid to the driving cabins and to the contact points (handrails, stop buttons, armrests, etc.) of the passenger compartments.
In addition, STIB-MIVB has organised reinforcements for the cleaning of the vehicles. About a hundred staff members are present at the end of the lines in order to ensure additional cleaning of the contact points throughout the day.
For more information, we refer you to our dedicated article.
How should I prepare my journey?
Where can I buy a transport ticket?
We are no longer selling tickets on board of our vehicles. You can directly pay your ticket by using your payment card or any other smart device (smartwatch, smartphone,...) equipped with the contactless technology on the grey validators located in our vehicles and stations.
You can also purchase your tickets online, at the GO vending machines or in our points of sales. You will find all our sales outlets on our Store Locator.
Cash payments are now accepted in our KIOSK and BOOTIK.
What are the best hours to travel?
In order to better spread the passengers in our stations and vehicles, we advise you to travel outside peak hours whenever possible. In order to plan you trip even better, you will find detailed information about the busiest hours per station and line in our dedicated article.
Are all lines operated normally?
We invite you to use our journey planner and consult the timetables on our website and mobile app in order to plan your trips.
Is the opening of the doors operated automatically?
Is the opening of the doors operated automatically?
Our drivers open all doors located on the side of the stop on our new trams, as well as on our buses, when a traveller pushed the stop button or let them know they want to board. In our metro trains and older trams, opening the doors on one side only is not possible. As such, an automatic opening would cause a safety issue for the travellers.
Do inspections take place on the network?
Am I still required to validate my transport ticket?
Yes, you are. Please note that your card should not technically touch the validating machine. You can validate by holding your card just a few centimetres above the machine.
Can I travel to the vaccination centre using STIB lines for free?
How can I take the STIB lines to the vaccination centre free of charge?
If you ticked the relevant box when you registered, you will receive two Event Pass codes on your vaccination confirmation.
How do I use the Event Pass codes on my vaccination confirmation?
The two nine-digit codes on your vaccination confirmation are Event Pass codes. You can redeem the Event Pass codes for tickets at any GO vending machine using the GO Event Pass function. You'll find more information on this document.
What should I do if I run into a problem with the Event Pass codes?
If you have received an invitation without Event Pass codes, if your codes do not work or if you encounter any other problem with the Event Pass codes, please call the call number on your vaccination confirmation.
How do I plan my trip?
Click here to open a map showing the main vaccination centres in Brussels and nearby stops. Use the journey planner on our website or on our iOS and Android apps to find the best route to your vaccination centre.
Can Taxibus customers get a free ride to the vaccination centre?
If you are a Taxibus customer, you can book a free ride to the vaccination centre via the usual call number.
How to avoid the busiest hours
Your safety is our top priority. Nowadays, avoiding travel during the busiest hours helps us to remain safe. Discover the expected occupancy* on our network through 3 Q&A: this way, you will be able to adapt your trip whenever possible. You will also soon have access to more detailed information on our app. We are doing our utmost to ensure you a carefree journey. Together, let's improve your comfort and respect the distancing rules!
The collected data stems from systems for detecting passages installed at the gates in the stations and on the doors of the vehicles for the buses and trams. Within this framework, we do not collect any personal information and the data are totally anonymous (counting a number of passages).
*Based on a cross referencing of the data of the previous weeks and the seasonal background.
When should I travel?
We recommend that you travel in the morning (until noon) instead of the afternoon. In the present circumstances, everyone's behaviour has changed and the occupancy on our network is currently higher in the afternoon. In the past, this was the case during the weekends, but now, it is also the case during the week. The chart below presents the evolution of the current occupancy on our network compared to the occupancy before the Covid 19 crisis.
Globally, the occupancy is about 10-15% lower than before the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
During the school year, the morning and evening peaks are very high. To avoid peak times, we recommend that you travel outside these periods (from 7.30 to 8.30 am and from 3.30 to 6 pm).
When is our network the busiest during the week?
Data and calculations: STIB-MIVB - Network Data Analytics
Source: Incoming passages recorded by the gates at the entrance of the stations during the school period weekdays between 12/09 and 20/12/2022 compared to the period before the Carnival holiday of 2020 (before the lockdown).
Which are the busiest stations?
Do you want to avoid large crowds? Thanks to our occupancy ranking, you will be able to avoid the busiest stations. This data is based on the entrance and exit rates in the stations. It does not include connections. That is why a station such as Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet is left out of the ranking, seeing 80% of its occupancy consists of connections.
Seven stations alone represent almost 1/3 of the occupancy: Gare du Midi/Zuidstation, De Brouckère, Simonis, Rogier, Montgomery, Gare de l’Ouest/Weststation and Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort
This information is not available for the stations Gare Centrale/Centraal Station, Delacroix, Gare du Nord/Noordstation and Horta.
What are the busiest stations during the week?
Data and calculations: STIB-MIVB - Network Data Analytics
Source: Incoming passages recorded by the gates at the entrance of the stations during the school period weekdays between 12/09 and 20/12/2022.
Lines occupancy
Currently, 40% of our bus and tram fleet is equipped with passage sensors, which allow us to count the number of people on board. STIB-MIVB aims at gradually install this type of sensors on every bus and tram by 2025.
Does your favourite line have sensors*? Click here to check the best hour to travel safely!
* Not every vehicle of each line of the network is equipped with these passage sensors.
Highest occupancy periods
Data and calculations: STIB-MIVB - Network Data Analytics
Source: Average occupancy rates measured by on-board sensors during the school period weekdays between 24/10 and 16/12/2022.
The data represents the average situation of the line: on the section you travel on, you could encounter occupancy rates that vary from the calculated average for the entire journey and vehicles.