New Stib app makes journey planning easier on the go

If you have the Stib mobile app on your phone to help you get around Brussels, it's time to delete it and download a new version.

The Brussels public transport operator unveiled a new, more user-friendly, app on Thursday. Because it is a new app, rather than an update to the old one, existing users will have to manually install it.

The big missing feature from the old Stib app is now available - a journey planner. Enter a start and finish address, like on the Stib website, and your route options and journey times will be calculated.

The app has integrated all the other public transport providers in Brussels, so you'll know if a De Lijn or TEC bus is quicker, or if you'll save time getting an SNCB train instead.

Stib's old app launched in 2010 and was used by 350,000 people per month. Its only job was to let users know how long they had to wait until their next bus, tram or metro.

"Until now, people had to use a third-party app to search for a route. Now it's included," a Stib spokeswoman said. "Eventually, we will add other travel options, such as Villo! or Cambio."

Updates to the app are planned twice a year. New features will include checking your Mobib card balance and finding out which facilities (such as ATMs and photo machines) are available in metro stations.