Two new stops for Antwerp’s Waterbus
The Scheldt river’s public transport system is adding stops at Lillo and Liefkenshoek, giving commuters more options in the run-up to Oosterweel construction works
39,000 passengers a month
Along with the new stops, two new boats are being introduced – City Liner 1 and 2. They join the current Aqua Line fleet on the Waterbus routes.
The Waterbus runs year-round up and down 40 kilometres of the Scheldt river between the Kallo lock and Hemiksen, south of Antwerp. It crosses the river more than once, connecting the left and right banks and includes a stop on the city’s central Steenplein.
With the Oosterweel works coming up, more and more people are going to be looking for alternatives
There is also a route along the city’s Albert Canal, giving port staff, as well as other commuters, an alternative to the city’s famously congested roads. The Waterbus, a co-operation between the city and the port of Antwerp, is also popular with tourists, acting as an inexpensive sight-seeing option.
Launched in 2016, the Waterbus system welcomed its 500,000th passenger in April. That month saw 39,000 passengers.
The new stops will see an increase in passengers, says city councillor Annick De Ridder. “The Waterbus, in combination with the bicycle, is a clear symbol of the efforts undertaken by the port of Antwerp to improve mobility,” she said. “With the Oosterweel works coming up, more and more people are going to be looking for alternatives, and we are providing an option.”
Photo: Commuters and day-trippers alike climb aboard the Waterbus
©Port of Antwerp
