With mobility taking the biggest chunk out of the Brussels-Capital Region's budget, the opposition parties are criticising the Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt for failing to develop an effective mobility policy.
During the Brussels Parliament's Mobility Committee on Tuesday, the Flemish rightwing N-VA party and the Francophone liberal MR party strongly criticised what they called the Capital Region's "failing" mobility policy.
"The people of Brussels are trapped by traffic," said Brussels MP David Weytsman (MR). "Our urban region has turned into a labyrinth for many Brussels residents, who have become hostages to traffic jams and conflicts between road users. While traffic jams are getting longer, the end of the metro works is ever more distant and the promised modernisation of mobility remains to be seen."
The 2024 mobility budget for Brussels amounts to €1.403 billion, of which €1.076 billion goes to subsidies for public transport company STIB, explained Van den Brandt.
Importantly, the recently agreed indexation of STIB fares (after nine years of freezing) is not "a historical catch-up, but only a one-year indexation," she stressed. It means users do not pay higher ticket prices in real terms because their wages or benefits were also indexed.
A 'historic' opportunity
While STIB's investment level remains at the same level as this year, some additional investment peaks will be postponed, such as the works on the rear of the North Station, and the land and property permits for the second part of Metro 3 (North Station-Bordet).
Investments of €174 million will go to the metro network and rolling stock for the metro, €112 million to the tram network and the purchase of rolling stock, €103 million to the electrification of the bus fleet, €95 million to IT expenditure, maintenance of buildings and workshops, and the renewal of escalators.
Additionally, €6 million is planned to address the issue of homeless people and drug addicts on the STIB network, and €26 million is allocated for road safety – €8 million more than this year. In 2024, €83 million will be provided for the development and maintenance of public spaces, roads and infrastructure for all users, pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, motorcyclists and motorists.
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However, changes to the tunnel plan have caused delays in renovations and the additional burdens placed on both middle-class and traders lead to delocalisation. While the government announced five projects to reduce traffic per year under its Good Move plan, only four projects have been realised today.
The expansion of the metro network was started (Metro line 3), but the funding is in danger of being insufficient, Brussels MP Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) pointed out.
She also listed a number of projects, for which she wanted a state of play: the separated cycle paths, the international bus station, the high-danger traffic spots (Meiser, Sanctelette,...), the accessibility of stations, and the harmonisation of the parking policy. "You have a historic opportunity to spend an awful lot of money, but what has been done with it?"
