Record 401 million journeys on Stib network last year

Brussels residents are using public transport now more than ever, according to the latest annual figures from Stib.

The public transport operator reports 401 million trips were completed last year across the Stib's network of buses, trams and metros.

This is an 8% increase on 2016, the fastest overall growth in recent years, although the comparison is with 2016, a year when public transport use stagnated following the terrorist attacks at Maelbeek metro and Brussels Airport.

The metro and tram are neck and neck - accounting for 37.8% and 37.2% of journeys respectively. The bus system made up the remaining 25%.

The 2017 Stib report also shows buses were increasingly stuck in traffic compared with the previous year, with an average speed of 15.9kph instead of 16.1kph.