Brussels Regional Authority gives green light for new bus terminus site at Brussels North
The Brussels-Capital Region has exonerated the Flemish public transport company De Lijn from having to get planning permission to re-locate its bus termini around Brussels North Railway Station. A large number of busses that provide public transport links between the capital and countless towns and villages in Flemish Brabant and beyond start and terminate at Brussels North.
Currently De Lijn’s bus stops at ground level underneath Communication Centre North, a sprawling building into which Brussels North Railway Station is integrated. However, for some time there have been issues of Hygiene and a feeling of insecurity caused by the presence of transit migrants and vagrants sleeping rough around the bus stops.
As De Lijn now doesn’t require planning permission work on relocating the bus stops will be able to start in September. Talks between De Lijn and the regional authority have resulted in the green light being given for the relocation of the bus stops to the square in front of the station.
Work to relocate the bus stops and put in the necessary bus shelter and platform facilities will take around three months. Speaking on Monday evening De Lijn’s Sonja Loos told journalists that "We have being pushing for a solution for a long time.
However, the issues with the transit migrants have contributed to speeding things up. The present stops are dark. You are sometimes alone there and this gives a feeling of insecurity. Now we will be grouping everything together, which will make things a lot clearer.
Digital signs will provide passengers will real-time information about arrival and departure times.Ultimately De Lijn hopes to join forces with its Brussels counterpart MIVB to build a modern bus and tram station at Brussels North. However, neither De Lijn nor MIVB have current have any concrete plans as to how this will be realised.