STIB consolidates its score

Customer satisfaction remains the same in 2017. The satisfaction barometer, conducted annually by an independent market research company, gave STIB a score of 7.1/10. This confirms STIB's 2016 score and is the highest satisfaction rating ever achieved by the public transport company.Customer satisfaction levels remain high and stable. More than one customer in four believes that STIB has improved overall in the last year, with 75% of people surveyed giving it a score higher than or equal to 7/10.Satisfaction with metro and tram lines increased slightly (7.2 compared with 7.1 in 2016). The feeling of safety during the day increased to 7.5/10.

Passenger numbers

STIB experienced record passenger numbers in 2017. The trams, buses and metros took care of 400.9 million journeys, an increase of over 8%. This represents 31.5 million additional journeys compared with 2016 and is the highest annual increase in the last ten years.The number of journeys increased from 277 million in 2007 to 400.9 million in 2017, a 44% rise. The increase in the number of journeys throughout the STIB network remains constant from year to year. The only exception was 2016, which suffered the consequences of the lockdown and the terrorist attacks.

Breakdown by mode of transport

A new methodology for calculating breakdown per mode was introduced in 2017, making it possible to include passengers making a transfer in transit stations, as well as passengers without a valid ticket.In 2017, the underground network (metro and pre-metro) won back market share from surface transport, particularly buses, which are more affected by traffic problems.

In 2017, STIB's vehicles travelled 45.8 million kilometres in total, which is 197,527 kilometres more than in the previous year.These additional kilometres are due primarily to the return to a normal year of operation. In 2016, the network, essentially the metro, was stopped or reduced due to the events of 22 March.

The capacity of STIB's vehicles is calculated in places/kilometres. Places/kilometre represents the number of available seats across all metro trains, trams, and buses, multiplied by the number of kilometres they have travelled. It is a measurement commonly used in the transport industry. This indicator not only takes account of available seats, but also the frequency between two vehicles.2017 was a year of stabilisation for the service following several years introducing new vehicles and increasing service frequency. The fact that passenger numbers increased significantly means that vehicle occupancy rates also increased. For the future, the challenge for STIB will be to continue expanding its offer. It will achieve this by ordering new vehicles (metro, trams and buses), which it began in 2017.

Go Easy: recharging your MOBIB at home

E-commerce is booming, with a total of 98,442 tickets sold online in 2017, compared with 60,120 in 2016.It was in this context that STIB launched Go Easy. This was a first for Belgian public transport. An eID card reader and the Go Easy programme on the STIB website allow passengers to buy their transport tickets online and immediately load them onto their card (MOBIB Basic or personalised MOBIB) from home or wherever they log on. Customers can also see their ticket balance and the expiry date of their subscription.Depending on their profile, they can directly access the preferential tariffs they are entitled to and choose the start date of their subscription.goeasy.stib.brussels

STIB talks to its customers

STIB's social media has got the wind in its sails. Its Facebook, Twitter and, more recently, Instagram pages have become essential official information sources for passengers. Just like the STIB blog (stibstories.be), which has 116.274 users (+96%).In view of this success, the STIB social media team is now able to answer customer questions on Facebook and Twitter from Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm and on Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm.Answering passenger questions and complaints, offering internet users more and more exclusive content (photos, unusual information, competitions and videos) and managing more difficult moments are some of the main aims of these new information channels.

Info close to the customer

In 2017, 470 new waiting time displays were installed above ground at bus and tram stops, while 71 communication screens were introduced to stations so that passengers can see the waiting times for surface lines (bus and tram transfers). These new surface displays, together with the new screens installed in stations, are added to the many displays already present on the network.In total, 1,441 of the busiest surface stops now have waiting time displays. The 69 metro and pre-metro stations have had them for several years now. STIB has therefore achieved and largely exceeded the ambitious goal of equipping 40% of its surface stops, as set out in its 2013-2017 management contract.

WiFi in all stations

Every day STIB strives to convince even more passengers of the relevance of public transport for getting around the city. It adapts to their needs to offer them an ever more pleasant "travel experience". The 69 (pre)metro stations have been equipped with WiFi since late 2017.In concrete terms, to enjoy free WiFi on platforms and at station entrances, STIB passengers just need to log onto the regional platform WiFi.brussels. The page provides wireless internet access once the requested data has been correctly encoded. Passengers can then consult public transport timetables in real time and access the STIB route search, as well as schedule their cinema trip, find a local restaurant and consult museum opening times.

Communication about projects

STIB continued its efforts to provide passengers and residents with targeted information about major projects and their impact on passengers, residents and shopkeepers: information boards at stops, mass mailshots, explanations on the website and social networks, distribution of leaflets to passengers, support for stewards, actions to help shopkeepers...In 2017, this involved the work on Boulevard Général Jacques (cubes at the entrance to the worksite, branding of shuttle buses and temporary platforms) and the work on Globe-Chaussée d’Alsemberg (informative tarps, specific newsletter, support for traders with specific arrows to shop entrances, poster campaign, maps, etc.).

STIB strengthens its Noctis network

STIB is adapting to the change in society, in order to provide a better response to travellers' needs. Brussels, a national and international capital, is also a student city. STIB is testing a new connection to give VUB and ULB students easy access to the city centre in the evenings. Since November 2017, bus 71 has been running until 3 am on Friday mornings (Thursday evening is the traditional evening for many students to go out) as well as on Friday and Saturday nights.The Noctis network has also been improved in Uccle. Line N11, which links the city centre to Uccle via Calevoet, has been extended as far as the Homborch district, on the border of the Brussels Region, next to Linkebeek station. This extension means that residents of the districts of Bourdon, Moensberg and Homborch can leave their cars at home while they enjoy a night out in the city on Friday and Saturday.The frequency of Noctis night bus services increases every year. Between 2,500 and 4,800 journeys are made in a weekend, depending on the period, with the highest numbers recorded in spring and autumn.

STIB gets Brussels moving

Throughout the year, the pace of life in Brussels is interspersed by cultural, sporting and other events. As a partner in the city's life, STIB supports these special moments by improving its lines and adapting its timetables or its routes.The festival of world music, Couleur Café, the 10th Museum Night Fever event and Nuit Blanche are just some of the festive events supported by STIB which provides free bus shuttles and its Noctis night bus network to festival-goers. The public transport company also extended its evening service for festivities on 21 July, the Brussels Summer Festival and by providing its network free of charge on New Year's Eve.

STIB launches its first Hackathon

In April 2017, STIB organised its first hackathon, called "Hack my ride". Developers, graphic artists, project leaders and app and public transport lovers spent three days at STIB headquarters considering theme-based digital app development based on data published on the STIB Open Data platform. They all had a common goal: to create applications that facilitate the use of public transport in Brussels.At the end of this marathon weekend, the AntarticaLTD team won the prize for best application, called "UpWay". The app uses STIB's data to find its bearings in and around metro stations. It also makes it possible to see vehicles moving on the network map in real time, identify whether a station is accessible to people with reduced mobility and, if it is not, redirect them to the nearest accessible station.The winning team in the STIB hackathon represented Belgium in the finals in Montreal, organised as part of the international congress of the International Association of Public Transport. It won these finals against other cities and countries.

107 new station security staff

The security of the network, customers, personnel and public transport installations in Brussels is the focus of constant attention from STIB, the police services and the authorities. During the summer, the first of the 107 new STIB station security collaborators appeared in the metro to carry out preventive actions. These new recruits will gradually replace the private security agents in charge of security at nine priority stations. Fifteen managerial posts will also strengthen the organisational structure of the station security staff.The aim of these reinforcements is to guarantee a greater human presence on the network and make passengers' journeys more enjoyable.

Greater human presence

The STIB security service comprises 181 intervention and control agents, who will gradually be supplemented by the 107 collaborators currently being recruited and trained. 238 junior and senior multimodal collaborators will also act as a deterrent on the network. Network security also involves a major surveillance camera system, with 6,000 cameras on board vehicles and 3,200 in stations.

A more courteous network

STIB reminded its passengers during the summer of the courtesy rules on public transport, such as giving up your seat to the elderly and pregnant women and letting passengers get off the vehicle before getting on. These are simple rules but are sometimes forgotten by some passengers. This is why STIB has launched the "Be a Top Traveller" campaign, which asked passengers to be courteous on public transport.The culmination of the campaign came during Mobility Week, when STIB personnel joined passengers on several bus and tram lines and handed out sweets. This was a shared moment to thank them for using STIB and also remind them of the rules for being a Top Traveller every day.

Respecting passenger equality

Travelling with a valid (and validated!) ticket is not just a way of avoiding fines, it is also a way of respecting the hundreds of thousands of other passengers not committing fraud. Providing a million journeys a day has a cost, and this cost is financed in part by public transport users. Fare-dodgers rely on paying passengers to finance their travel, which is unfair. This is one of the key messages of the 2017 campaign to combat fraud.In 2017, STIB collaborators checked 1,457,570 tickets throughout the network and issued 82,260 violation notices. The apparent fare-dodging rate (calculated based on the number of notices issued during the previous year) was 5.6% compared with 4.15% in 2016. STIB must compensate for this loss, and this amount could be invested in the many ongoing projects and improve mobility for everyone.

Travel in complete safety

Following the increase in passenger numbers over the last few years, STIB has adapted its offer by increasing the frequency of metro, bus and tram services. But where there are more vehicles, there is also an increased risk of accidents. This is why STIB has implemented a comprehensive risk management system for the operation of its entire network (metro, tram and bus) in order to limit such risks as much as possible.As well as the technical safety developments, STIB has also focused on raising the awareness of its personnel. All drivers are trained in defensive and anticipative driving and made aware of how to respect vulnerable users. They take regular refresher courses which tackle road safety, among other subjects. During this training, STIB also pays particular attention to the Focus project , whose aim is to regulate the use of smartphones in order to eliminate the risk of accidents.

Safety is everyone's business

Because network safety also means educating public transport users and motorists, STIB also conducts "safety" campaigns to stress the proper behaviours to be adopted in and around public transport.The campaigns remind everyone, for example, to remain attentive when approaching trams and dedicated lanes so they are not taken by surprise. They also recall the importance of heeding the sound signal that announces the closure of the doors, to avoid unnecessary risks and delays on the network.These campaigns take the form of posters, radio advertisements and videos and are distributed through the traditional channels and on social media.