Brussels representatives of the French-speaking liberal party MR (Mouvement Réformateur) have tabled a motion to extend the timetable of late-night metros and buses until 03:00 on weekends.
The motion, tabled by Brussels deputies David Weytsman and Anne-Charlotte D'Ursel, aims to modify the working hours of Noctis metro and services on weekends to 03:00, as well as Noctis bus services on Thursdays.
The authors of the motion compared the offering of Brussels’ public transport to neighbouring towns and cities, finding the Belgian capital to be lacking. In Paris, for example, Noctiliens lines run all week long between 12:30 and 05:30. The metro runs until 01:15 on weekdays and until 02:15 on weekends.
Likewise, in London, night bus services cover the period when the Tube is closed. Many bus routes operate 24 hours per day. In Berlin, during the week, buses replace U-Bahn services between 01:00 and 04:30. On Friday evenings, Saturday evenings, and during public holidays, the metro and S-Bahn (trams) operate throughout the night. In Rome, twenty night bus lines run from 00:00 until 05:00, the MR deputies note.
“The extension of transport at night would be a real boon to support the Brussels service sector after years of crisis, as well as boost tourism and support cultural operators,” the deputies say.
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Currently, the metro stops at 00:30. Buses and trams run until around 01:00. The 11 Noctis line, which runs from 00:00 to 03:00, is limited to just Friday and Saturday. The Collecto shared taxi service is the only service to run until 06:00, and only operates within Brussels. “The capital of Europe must do better,” said Weytsman.
Beyond the planned extension to Noctis services from Thursday, the MR deputies also want to request a study of “the possibility of extending the timetables of the metro during the weekend until 03:00 in the morning, and to set up a consultation with the Flemish Region to analyse the possibility of extending Collecto’s area of operation to the outskirts,” said D’Ursel.
