Free public transport system in Hasselt (Belgium)

Have you ever heard about free public transport system?If no, just read.

It is just 12 years of successful public transport story. 12 years ago the city of Hasselt (72 tousand citizens) had serious problems with the increasing of car usage and existing public transport.  There were only eight city buses and two lines in Hasselt before 1 July 1997, which covered about 500,000 km a year and only transported 360,000 passengers in 1996. After the renovation of the ring road around the city, turning it into a pedestrian-friendly and tree-clad 'Groene Boulevard', the city council presented an ambitious project to transport company De Lijn. With the words 'Hasselt zal nooit meer hetzelfde zijn' ('Hasselt will never be the same'), the former mayor and later minister Steve Stevaert launched free buses on 1 July 1997. 

The city had two options. One for building the new highway or improving the public transport. Therefore the municipality decided to create a really sustainalbe public transport system, they bought more buses. And the result have proved its value.

 Until 30 June 1997, there was an average of 1,000 bus passengers a day in Hasselt. Today, the average is 12,600 passengers a day. There are now 46 city buses on nine lines, including a boulevard shuttle and a city centre shuttle. Two nightlines run at night. Altogether, these city buses cover 2,258,638 km in a year. All this benefits mobility in Hasselt. However, there is also a social benefit. Visits to hospitals have increased significantly. Free public transport is here to stay in Hasselt.

 Thanks to the basic idea that consists in the fact that in Hasselt you can ride for free. 

The following lines are free:

Free city busses 
The free lines H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H7, H8, H9 depart from Station Square headed towards residential areas, municipalities, Hasselt centre and several tourist attractions, nature reserves and places of interest every 30 minutes (on Sundays and holidays every hour).

 

• Free boulevard shuttle BP
This bus covers all stops along the small ring road and passes the station every 5 minutes. Exept sundays and holidays.


• Free centre shuttles CP
This bus connects the station with the Grote Markt every 10 minutes. Not on Sundays and holidays.


• Free evening line
Both on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays the Evening Line (after 20.00) brings you from the centre of Hasselt to any stop located in Greater Hasselt. Departure at Station Square. You can also board at the stops along the Green Boulevard.


• Free line 45
Line 45, which runs between Hasselt's train and bus station and the stop ‘Provinciehuis' on the Universiteitslaan, is also free for everyone. This line covers interesting attractions like covered and open-air swimming pools, the Kapermolen Park with its skate park, the Japanese Garden, the Grensland Halls, Ethias Arena, Plopsa Indoor and Kinepolis.