Brussels public transport rates low
Public transport in Brussels is in 14th place in the European league, according to a survey of 23 cities carried out by EuroTest for the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Munich came first and London 20th, while two East European cities failed to make the grade.
Brussels scored poorly on the lack of night buses on weeknights; information on the Internet that is not user-friendly; and no space for wheelchairs. (Some of the criticism seems mistaken: most buses and all new trams have dedicated spaces for prams, and on trams there are also spaces for wheelchairs.)
On the other hand, Brussels gets points for allowing bikes on trams and metros; for competent and friendly advice at ticket desks; for the range of tickets available, and the value of the 10-trip ticket in particular; and for the faster than average connection time from the outskirts to the centre.
Altogether, Brussels received the rating “acceptable”, as did eight other cities, including Paris, Amsterdam and Warsaw. Eleven, among them Copenhagen, Barcelona and Helsinki, were rated “good”, and the winner was rated “very good”. Two cities, Zagreb and Ljubljana, were given a failing grade.
