Safety tips

Respect the beep

The "BIIIP" does not mean "Ready, set, go!"

For your own safety do not walk through the doors when you hear the beep.

This signal announces the imminent closing of the doors.

As soon as the signal is working, it is forbidden to enter or exit the vehicle.

This behaviour can be dangerous as you could get stuck between the doors and hurt yourself. Not to mention the damages if the vehicle starts to move while an object is caught between the doors.

Avoid unnecessary risks and delays on the network: to travel safety, respect the beep indicating the closing of the doors!

Never go on the tracks

Who has never seen or experienced similar situations: someone drops an object on the tracks in a metro station and goes down to get it back. Or a person is at the wrong platform to take the tram and, instead of going around, decides to cross the tracks to reach the other side. These are real cases where safety – your safety – is at stake! Therefore, you must never go on the tracks for whatever reason!

Every day, in the metro, travellers drop objects on the tracks when they enter or exit a train, play on the platforms, get too close to the edge. A mobile phone, a cuddly toy, a MOBIB card, clothing, ... This can happen very fast and it might be really tempting for the travellers to quickly pick up these objects which seem "within reach". The rule is to never, ever go on the tracks. Irrespective of the object that has fallen, do not try to get it yourself.

There is a 3rd track on the metro tracks connected to a 900V current which powers the metro. Anyone who goes on the tracks and touches the 3rd track could be electrocuted. Moreover, a metro can arrive at any moment and it is almost impossible to know in the station where it is coming from. Similarly, once you are on the tracks, it is very difficult to get back on the platform swiftly, given the height of it.

What to do if you drop an object on the tracks?

Ask a STIB/MIVB agent in the station or, if you can not find someone, go to the call terminals (red "SOS" phones) on each platform. You will directly be in contact with a STIB/MIVB operator. A STIB/MIVB agent will be sent to the station to retrieve your object safely after the metro traffic has been interrupted.

Do not cross the tram tracks in the stations

These safety rules also apply to the tram in the premetro stations. A tram is a heavy vehicle on tracks which does not brake within a few meters like a car. And in some stations where several tram and metro lines come together, the noise does not indicate where the next vehicle will arrive from. Moreover, a tram can hide another.

Always be careful at the aboveground stops when you have to cross the tracks. Remember that a tram does not stop within a few meters like a car. That is also why you must always give way to the tram.

Your safety also depends on you

Do not forget that your safety also depends on you! Make sure you do not drop anything while you exit or enter a metro or tram, do not stay at the edge of the platforms, do not lean over and, above all, do not go on the tracks.

Hold on in our vehicles

Scrolling or playing on your smart phone? Distracted? Reading your book? Carrying your groceries? ... There are so many reasons for you not to hold on when travelling with STIB-MIVB. If you do not hold on in a moving vehicle, you could get seriously hurt. As road users, our vehicles might indeed need to brake suddenly or avoid an obstacle, for instance.

Our drivers are trained at defensive driving and vehicle control, but they could be forced to jam on the brakes in order to avoid a crash with another vehicle or even a weak road user. This is when travellers inside the vehicles who do not hold on can get hurt.

In order to travel safely, do not forget the handles and straps present in each vehicle. It is crucial you use them!

For your safety, please hold on in our vehicles!

Always give way to the tram

Every day, hundreds of trams travel the streets of the capital and cross paths with cars, cyclists and pedestrians. To make coexistence as easy as possible and because a tram does not stop as fast as a car, STIB/MIVB reminds all users that they must always give way to the tram.

The tram always has priority over all the others road users, including pedestrians. This Highway Code regulation is due to the fact that a tram is not like other vehicles. It is a heavy vehicle, running on tracks, which cannot deviate from its trajectory to avoid an obstacle. Moreover, when braking, the wheel grip on the tracks is lower than tyres vehicles, which means the braking distance is longer. A tram travelling at 40 km/h needs about 40 metres to stop, so at least once its length.

Therefore, attention should always be given when approaching a reserved tram/bus lane, a stop or when a tram approaches. Travellers wearing headphones, accessing their mobile phones or running to catch a bus do not see the tram arrive. The causes of distraction are multiple, as well as the risks of being surprised.

Let other travellers exit

Do not rush into a tram, bus or metro as soon as it arrives at a stop. Let the travellers exit the vehicle first. This is common sense, a matter of good citizenship and also a safety issue.

Completely clear the access to the entrance and wait alongside the vehicle for the travellers to exit before entering. This way you can avoid pushing, falling and you will save time. A better organized and smoother boarding reduces the stop time, increases the regularity of the network and the punctuality of the vehicles.

Stay behind the yellow line

In the stations, the yellow line marks the safety distance from the edge of the platform. For your own safety and that of other travellers, it is important to wait for the metro, tram or bus behind the safety line. Do not board until the vehicle is completely stopped.

Failure to respect this line can cause serious accidents. You may not only disrupt traffic but also fall on the tracks. The air movement caused by the movement of a metro or premetro train entering the station could be enough to suck you towards the train.

Mind the gap

If you travel with the public transport in Brussels, you will surely have noticed that there is a gap between the edge of the platform and the metro train. There is also a gap between the edge of the platform and the tram, and sometimes between the edge of the pavement and the bus. Similarly, a difference in level may exist between the platform / pavement and the vehicle.

The platforms are not always straight and, in some metro stations, the track is curved, which can create a larger gap between the platform and the metro train. These stations are also equipped with a flashing light device and pictograms, to get the travellers' attention to this gap.

Do not drive on the bus lane

The bus lanes allow the buses and their travellers to move about swiftly in traffic.

The main goal of our bus lanes is to improve the regularity of the buses across our network so as to provide our travellers with the best service possible.

Unfortunately, many car drivers do not respect the instructions not to take the bus lanes.

By doing so, a driver not only holds up the bus traffic, but he or she also runs the risk of getting fined, as this is a traffic offence of the first degree.

To all the car drivers: we kindly ask you to not drive on the bus lanes so as to avoid blocking our buses and/or paying a fine!

Respect the beep

The "BIIIP" does not mean "Ready, set, go!"

For your own safety do not walk through the doors when you hear the beep.

This signal announces the imminent closing of the doors.

As soon as the signal is working, it is forbidden to enter or exit the vehicle.

This behaviour can be dangerous as you could get stuck between the doors and hurt yourself. Not to mention the damages if the vehicle starts to move while an object is caught between the doors.

Avoid unnecessary risks and delays on the network: to travel safety, respect the beep indicating the closing of the doors!