Anyone that uses public transport has seen other people boarding buses and trams apparently without a ticket or people that closely follow another person though the gates at the metro station in order to slip through without paying. In Brussels the public transport company MIVB carries out regular checks and those caught travelling without a valid ticket are fined. But how much does MIVB earn from the fines each year? Our colleagues from the Brussels regional news platform Bruzz investigated.
How much does the Brussels public transport company make from fines issued to those caught travelling without a ticket?
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The level of fines issued by MIVB varies between 100 and 400 euro. MIVB’s spokesman Laurent Vermeersch told Bruzz that 1.7 million ticket inspections were carried out last year. Of those checked 110,000 passengers were found to travelling with a (valid) ticket.
The total amount paid in fines by passengers found to be travelling without a (valid) ticket was 6.6 million euro. However, this is less than half the total value of all the fines MIVB issued. In 2024 MIVB issued fines totalling 13 million euro.
Laurent Vermeersch says that “MIVB is doing everything it can to increase the amount we actually recover. To this end we have enlisted the services of a bailiff. The procedure is still ongoing for some of the fines issued in 2024.”
Those that fail to pay up in time are sent a reminder. If they still don’t pay the fine, they may find that they end up with a bailiff at their front door. MIVB says that prevention is better than cure and it’s best to ensure that you have a valid ticket when you get on the bus, tram, or metro. Those that only use public transport occasionally can buy a digital ticket using their bank card. MIVB hopes that this relatively easy method of payment will help reduce the number of fare-dodgers on the capital’s public transport system.
Other measures
The public transport company believes that other measures also have an effect on reducing the number of fare-dodgers. These include access gates at metro stations, more frequent ticket inspections and higher fines. Those caught without a valid ticket for the first time are fined 107 euro, while those caught for a second time pay 214 euro. The level of the fines is quite high compared with the price of a ticket.
Laurent Vermeersch adds that policy decisions such as reducing the price of season tickets can also serve to cut the number of fare dodgers.
The income MIVB receives from the fines that are paid are added to the funding the public transport company receives from fares and subsidies and used to provide bus, tram and metro services for the people of Brussels, commuters, tourists and other visitors to our capital city.