As a new phase of the Saint-Gilles barrier redevelopment work began on Monday with the renewal of tram tracks on part of Avenue du Parc, the Brussels Public Transport Users’ Association (GUTIB) believes that disruptions are piling up due to a lack of sufficient coordination.
“Passengers in Saint-Gilles have had enough,” the association stated.
GUTIB notes that all lines serving the town centre are currently affected. The pre-metro from Albert is limited to Porte de Hal and is now only operated by line 4 due to the Bara slab construction.
Tram 81 is limited to Trinité because of construction on Rue Moris and at Barrière de Saint-Gilles. Tram 97 has been suspended for several months due to these same works and those now underway on Avenue du Parc.
The association also highlights the difficulties experienced by bus 50, which is subject to detours, as well as the temporary bus 96, which replaces tram 81 between Trinité and Gare du Midi. Since 1 June, this line has also been extended to Legrand to replace trams 8 and 93.
Operated with standard buses, the service is, according to GUTIB, regularly overcrowded and unreliable.
The group is asking Brussels public transport operator STIB-MIVB to increase services on bus 96, which partially replaces tram 81, and to improve its route.
Finally, GUTIB (Brussels Intercommunal Transport Group) is calling on STIB and the municipality of Saint-Gilles to reinstate tram 81 to Barrière as soon as possible, via a temporary terminus on Avenue Paul Dejaer.
It considers it “inconceivable” to wait until the end of 2026 to put the line back into service. According to the group, the installation of the new tracks on Rue Moris is "practically complete".
