In 2022, 20,000 more administrative fines were issued than in 2019 for passengers not carrying a valid ticket on the Brussels public transport network STIB, La Capitale reports.
1.31 million passengers were checked in 2019, of which 71,455 received fines. In 2020, with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, STIB inspectors' priorities shifted to "checking that people were wearing masks," spokesperson Cindy Arents told Sudinfo. As a result, only 354,735 people were checked and 21,889 ticketed.
Numbers were up again in 2021, with 546,804 passengers checked and 50,166 ticketed. With a return to normal following the pandemic, 2022 saw an even greater increase, with 1.26 million passengers inspected and 89,728 ticketed.
"Ticket inspection is a question of fairness between passengers who pay for a service and those who do not. The public service contract between STIB and the Region includes an obligation to check at least 1% of passengers," Arents explained. "Checks also improve the feeling of safety for passengers, thanks to the presence of the ticket inspectors."
Tens of millions of euros lost
There are currently 120 tickets inspectors who carry out checks at various locations along the STIB network each day. "It is simply a matter of justice. Why should honest travellers bear the cost of fare dodgers?" the network states on its website. "Every year, STIB loses tens of millions of euros due to fare evasion."
STIB also points to a practical reason for passengers to validate their tickets: "We can only increase the frequency if we know the number of travellers. Should more metros be used during peak hours? Should an extra bus be added on a particular line? When you validate, we know the number of travellers and we can find out if our offer meets the travellers' needs."
Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt noted in a written statement that STIB fines amounted to a total of €7,637,364 in 2022; first offenders were charged €107, repeat offenders were charged €214 and there were fines of €408 for falsified tickets.
Find more information on STIB's transport fines here.
