EIB wants to make public transport in Brussels more attractive than cars

The massive 475-million-euro investment will renovate and strengthen the Good Move mobility plan

On Monday, the European Investment Bank announced a massive kick to Brussels’ public transport system. The EIB has granted 475 million euros to improve the quality and sustainability of the public transport system under the Good Move mobility plan.

Good Move is a multi-level strategy for climate adaptation of the traffic in the Brussels Capital Region, with parts of it being introduced in August 2022. Specifically, the City of Brussels reorganised the vehicle flow in the centre of the Belgian capital to make the side streets quieter and cleaner. However, the decision caused major protests and local authorities were forced to backtrack on the policy.

Now, the Brussels Capital Region wants to boost the quality of public transport with new buses, trams and a metro extension. Yet, that ambition comes with a serious price tag with the loan from the EIB and a carbon pledge from authorities to reduce CO2 levels by 39% compared to 2010, by 2030.

Strengthening the sustainable transition

According to an official statement by authorities, the Good Move plan and the EIB boost aim to make public transport more attractive than cars. Some ideas to do that include making public transport faster, cleaner, quieter and more convenient, by reducing parking spaces, expanding bus lanes and introducing electric alternatives.

Specifically, the loan will help cover 94 new electric buses, 90 trams and 43 metro trains as well as the renewal of 63 kilometres of track on existing tram and metro networks. Also, it will cover the infrastructure upgrades needed to operate the new trams and metro trains.

Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region was quoted in an official statement, explaining that the partnership between the Belgian capital and the EIB was a historic agreement. He also pointed out that it would reinforce the region’s commitment to making public transport more accessible to personal vehicles, improving air quality, living standards and help the area with its sustainability transition.