Around ten organisations advocating for the rights of elderly people, including S-Plus, Grandparents for Climate, and CSC Seniors, staged a demonstration in Brussels on Friday against Belgian railway operator SNCB's increasing ticket fares.
The protest started at 08:30 on Friday morning, during an SNCB Board of Directors meeting.
The groups protested against the reform of the SNCB tariff system set to take effect in 2025, which will eliminate discount schemes currently available to seniors and young people.
Starting next year, people aged 65 and over will no longer be able to buy return train tickets for a flat rate of €8.30. In exchange, SNCB plans to offer a 40% discount on standard ticket prices, regardless of distance or duration.
In February, SNCB also announced the removal of the discount card for large families.
The organisations, which held a similar protest in Ostend last November, expressed their discontent with the reform.
They argue that the 40% discount and any additional discounts offered for purchasing an "advantages card" during off-peak hours are not sufficient.
"This 40% reduction works well for short trips, but for long journeys, the costs will be quite significant for seniors," explained Michele Dehaen, a representative of the Committee of Early Retirees and Pensioners.
The organisations reiterated their proposal for seniors to pay an additional €50 annually on top of existing senior subscriptions with De Lijn, TEC, or STIB.
"This would allow us to use a single annual ticket to travel for free on trains, trams, buses, and metros throughout the country," they said.
