The Belgian ministers of public transport have long been striving to make Swiss public transport a model for Belgium. Now, progress seems to be being made in implementing some of the ambitions that have made Swiss public transport so successful for many years.
Belgium’s four mobility ministers are asking public transport companies to submit a concrete proposal for a ‘pay-as-you-go’ (PAYG) system by spring 2026. This should enable passengers to use different transport companies with a single ticket without too much hassle.
Harmonization of tariff structures
The four ministers, Jean-Luc Crucke (federal), Annick De Ridder (Flanders), François Desquesnes (Wallonia), and Elke Van den Brandt (Brussels), agreed after an interministerial conference that passengers should not incur additional costs when changing modes of transport, or more specifically, when transferring from an NMBS/SNCB train to a bus or tram operated by the Flemish De Lijn, the Walloon TEC, or the Brussels MIVB/STIB.
More specifically, they are asking public transport companies to investigate the harmonization of fare structures and commercial conditions and to draw up a concrete proposal by spring. This proposal must include a “clear architecture, a budget, and a timetable for the introduction of the PAYG system.”
“One journey, one ticket”
Noteworthy: Helmut Eichhorn, director of Alliance SwissPass, also attended last Tuesday’s interministerial conference. The Swiss umbrella organization spans 250 transport companies and 20 fare structures.
The organization oversees the harmonization of fares, and its quote, “One journey, one ticket”, is the key to the Swiss public transport system. However, tickets are also more expensive there compared to Belgium, as is everything else, but wages are also much higher on average, and taxes are lower.
Swiss public transport, which represents 1,41 million passengers per day, has been known worldwide for years for its extreme punctuality. Trains, buses, and boats almost always run on time, down to the minute. Even when transferring between trains and buses, everything is planned so that you can travel smoothly, often with only a few minutes’ margin for error.
A single timetable, the Taktfahrplan, ensures that everything connects, even the cable car in small villages in the Alps, or if you want to connect to ships. Another advantage is that a single ticket or pass, such as the Swiss Travel Pass or the GA pass, is valid for almost all means of transport throughout the country.
In addition, the Swiss also rely on a nationwide symmetrical hourly pattern. For example, trains depart at the same minute every hour, making the system easy to remember and plan efficiently.
