Belgian rail operator SNCB is set to scrap its “large family” reductions, which allowed travellers with three or more children to travel at around half the price of purchasing standard tickets. According to Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique, the reductions will disappear sometime at the end of next year as part of the SNCB’s new public service contract.
The reduction, first conceived during the interwar period, was one of the League of Family's first major victories in providing subsidies to families with children. Understandably, they have been the first group to publicly condemn the proposed changes, calling on SNCB to rethink its decision in a press release on 8 September.
The League of Families first learned of this proposed change during a meeting with the Office of the Minister of Mobility last June. The group attempted to dissuade the federal authorities, who remained undeterred.
In a comment to La Libre Belgique, Minister of Mobility George Gilkinet confirmed the government’s intention to remove the cut-price tariff.
“This card provided invaluable services to all Belgians who could take advantage of it and who were thus encouraged to take public transport. Nevertheless, it is becoming urgent to adapt the fare formulas to the reality of 2022,” he said.
Rail operating costs shoot up
In recent months, SNCB has been feeling the pinch from the rapidly escalating cost of electricity and fuel. The company currently estimates that its overall energy bill will be €100 million more this year than in 2020. The company has asked its conductors to start being more “economical”, making smoother rides and less erratic stops.
Current holders of the large families reduction card were originally meant to have the benefits for life. According to the League of Families, 75,000 will lose this privilege.
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SNCB now wants to launch a new reduction, offering a discounted rate to all young people under the age of 26, which it describes as “greater progress for the mobility of families, including single-parent or blended families” which are not currently covered by the large families reduction.
“Society is changing and SNCB wants to respond to this new reality within the framework of its new public service contract… We are therefore opting for a system where each child is considered equally,” the minister said.
After 2023, some group reductions will still be in place. SNCB will offer a reduced fare for groups of four or more including adults, thereby allowing large families to continue benefitting from reductions.
