63% of Belgians Reject Public Transit, Minister Vows Action

A new European study has revealed that nearly two-thirds of Belgians never or almost never use public transport, prompting Walloon Mobility Minister François Desquesnes to pledge new investment and policy action. The findings, published by the Oeko-Institut and commissioned by Greenpeace, paint a stark picture of transport poverty in Belgium and across Europe.

A Deep Disconnect

According to the study, titled “Access Denied: Transport Poverty in Europe,” 63% of Belgians use public transport less than once per month, while only 13% rely on it daily. Belgium ranks second-worst in Europe for the proportion of people citing excessively long travel times as the reason for avoiding public transit — 8% compared to the EU average of 3.5%, as reported by RTBF.

The situation is particularly dire outside major cities. For small municipalities, Belgium scores worst in Europe: 10.6% of residents cite travel time as prohibitive, against a European average of 3.5%. Rural areas fare similarly poorly at 8.7%, compared to the EU average of 2.8%.

Safety and accessibility are also significant barriers. Some 4.6% of Belgians avoid public transport due to physical access difficulties or safety concerns — above the EU average of 3.4%, according to La Libre.

The Urban-Rural Divide

Nadia Cornejo, spokesperson for Greenpeace Belgium, attributed the poor figures to urban sprawl and inadequate service provision. “We have urban sprawl, cities are expensive, so people buy outside,” she told RTBF. “And we also have a problem with transport supply — the time spent is very high.”

She argued that rural residents should not be blamed for their car dependency. “We can no longer guilt-trip people who live in the countryside and don’t have the possibility to do otherwise,” Cornejo said.

Across Europe, the study found that up to 56% of the population in some countries report being effectively “cut off” from public transport, and up to 19% are forced to own a car due to a lack of alternatives. The report covers 11 transport poverty indicators across European countries, and Belgium does not rank among the top performers for any of them.

Minister Responds with Pragmatism

Walloon Mobility Minister François Desquesnes (Les Engagés) acknowledged the challenge but stressed the need for financially sustainable solutions. He noted that Wallonia already invests €850 million per year in LeTec, the regional public transport operator, and announced an additional €45 million to develop on-demand transport lines.

“We can’t run buses 24 hours a day on all roads in Wallonia — it would be absolutely unaffordable,” Desquesnes said in the RTBF interview. “What we need is to deploy solutions adapted to each period and timing. If the bus doesn’t have an average of 10 people in it, it’s a budgetary, economic, and environmental heresy.”

The minister emphasized that price is not the main barrier, pointing out that despite rising fuel prices, bus ridership has not significantly increased. He advocated for a pragmatic mix of solutions, including company carpooling and on-demand “Proxibus” services to complement existing rail and bus networks.

A Clash of Visions

The debate highlights a fundamental tension between Greenpeace’s call for universal, affordable public transport as a fundamental right and the minister’s focus on budgetary realities. Greenpeace Belgium spokesperson Joeri Thijs framed the issue in stark terms: “When millions of Europeans find themselves effectively blocked, cut off from jobs, healthcare, and opportunities they need to survive and thrive, we can speak of a systemic failure. Mobility is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right for a dignified life.”

Greenpeace is advocating for “climate tickets” and “social tickets” — targeted pricing schemes to make public transport more affordable — and calling for a tax on the super-rich to fund improvements. The environmental group also points to Brussels’ cycling infrastructure success as evidence that “supply creates demand.”

What’s Next

The study provides a powerful benchmark for measuring progress on transport poverty in Belgium. With the Walloon government having recently approved a revised public service contract with LeTec, and €45 million earmarked for on-demand services, the coming months will test whether these measures can begin to close the gap between Belgium’s urban and rural populations.

For now, the data is clear: Belgium faces a structural mobility crisis that will require coordinated action across all three regions — Wallonia, Flanders, and Brussels — as well as the federal government responsible for national rail operator SNCB. The question is whether pragmatic, incremental investment can match the scale of the challenge laid bare by this study.