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.
The most important rule to remember remains to wear a mask (mandatory from 6 years old) at our stops, in our vehicles and stations.
Don’t forget: for every journey, wear your face mask correctly !
List of links
Frequently Asked Question Covid-19
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Is it safe to travel with public transports?
Is it safe to travel with public transports?
Yes, travelling with STIB-MIVB is safe as long as every traveller uses their common sense and follows the indicated measures such as wearing a face mask properly (starting from 6 years), washing their hands regularly and keeping a safe distance whenever possible. For more information, we refer you to our interview with Marius Gilbert, an epidemiological researcher at the ULB.
An English study has shown that the risk of contracting Covid-19 while travelling by train is about 1 in 11,000 journeys. This is equivalent to a chance of less than 0.01%. The risk even lowers to 1 in 20,000 journeys (0.005%) when wearing a face mask. The study shows that travellers are not more prone to infections in public transports than elsewhere in their everyday lives.
What about air conditioning during the Covid-19 crisis?
Our vehicles’ air conditioning system is safe, as the air comes from outside. You will find more information on this matter in the findings of the Superior Health Council of Belgium.
What extra cleaning measures do you take?
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.
What hygiene measures should I take?
Please observe the hygiene measures recommended by the authorities, i.e.: wear a face mask properly (starting from 6 years), 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.
Where and how should I wear a face mask?
Where and when I am required to wear a face mask?
In accordance with the Government decisions and for the safety of us all, wearing a face mask or a scarf covering your mouth and nose is mandatory at all bus/tram stops, in the stations and on board of our vehicles. This measure applies to all travellers aged 6 and older.
How should I wear my face mask?
To wear your mask properly, make sure it covers your mouth and nose. For more information, we refer you to the instructions given on the official website info-coronavirus.be.
What if I cannot/may not wear a face mask?
If wearing a face mask is contraindicated on medical grounds, we recommend you seek advice from your referring doctor.
A face shield may be used instead, only when wearing a face mask is not possible on medical grounds. In all other cases, wearing a face mask is mandatory. Any person in this particular situation should always be in possession of a doctor’s certificate attesting to the situation.
Where can I buy face masks?
You can purchase face masks in pharmacies, as well as in many shops, both physical and online. Face masks are also on sale at the snack vending machines in the following stations:
- Alma
- Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet
- Beekkant
- Botanique/Kruidtuin
- CERIA/COOVI
- Crainhem/Kraainem
- De Brouckère
- Delacroix
- Delta
- Demey
- Erasme/Erasmus
- Gare Centrale/Centraal Station
- Gare du Midi/Zuidstation
- Gare du Nord/Noordstation
- Gribaumont
- Hankar
- Herrmann-Debroux
- Heysel/Heizel
- Houba-Brugmann
- Louise/Louiza
- Maelbeek/Maalbeek
- Madou
- Merode
- Montgomery
- Parc/Park
- Pétillon
- Porte de Hal/Hallepoort
- Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort
- Rogier
- Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn
- Roodebeek
- Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido
- Schuman
- Simonis
- Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne
- Stockel/Stokkel
- Thieffry
- Tomberg
- Trône/Troon
Is wearing a face mask mandatory for the STIB-MIVB staff?
In application of Article 16, Chapter 6, of the Ministerial Order of 30 June 2020 on emergency measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 (as last amended by the Ministerial Order of 28 July 2020), the wearing of a face mask is not mandatory for driving personnel who is alone in their cabin. The same applies to the BOOTIK and KIOSK colleagues if a safe distance is respected.
Wearing a face mask remains mandatory for the STIB-MIVB staff when leaving the driving cabin or point of sales.
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?
Do inspections take place on the network to ensure face masks are worn properly?
Yes, our inspecting teams and the police carry out more than 30 mask inspection operations every day on the STIB-MIVB network. This amounts to a total of almost 1 000 inspection operations every month on our sole 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 has dropped by 50% comparing to the rate measured before the crisis. Since the beginning of July, the busiest time on our network is situated between 3:00 pm and 6:30 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 week between 1 July 2020 and 10 July 2020 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.
Six stations alone represent almost 1/3 of the occupancy: Gare du Midi/Zuidstation, Simonis, Rogier, Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort, Gare de l’Ouest/Weststation and Montgomery.
This information is not available for the following stations: De Brouckère (metro side), Gare Centrale/Centraal Station, Clémenceau and Delacroix.
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 week between 1 July 2020 and 10 July 2020 compared to the period before the Carnival holiday of 2020 (before the lockdown).
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 occupance rates measured by the sensors on board, during the week between 1 July 2020 and 10 July 2020.
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.