Brussels public transport company STIB/MIVB will freely distribute a number of transport cards to users ahead of a €0.50 hike on the price of regular paper tickets.
The transport cards' usually sell for €5 but STIB said it will give them out for free in April to encourage occasional commuters to stop buying one-time paper tickets, Bruzz reports.
The announcement follows news that the transport operator will increase the price of paper tickets from €2.10 to €2.6 or €3 for commuters buying a ticket on board a bus.
The choice to hike the price of the magnetic paper tickets was motivated by environmental concerns as well as by the high costs of producing them, according to the outlet.
STIB did not specify how many cards it was going to distribute, but the transport passes in question will be a "Mobib Basic" card, which is anonymous and can be shared, but which can only hold single or multiple ticket passes, but not long-term transport passes.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
