General terms and conditions of travel
Valid from 1 February 2021
De Lijn - Motstraat 20 – 2800 Mechelen Mechelen Register of Legal Entities: 0242.069.537 - VAT no: BE 242069537
1. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PUBLIC AND PASSENGERS ...... 3 1.1. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL ...... 3 1.2. SPECIFIC RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF PASSENGERS ...... 3 1.3. DE LIJN’S RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ...... 5
2. TICKET MEDIA ...... 6 2.1. MOBIB CARD ...... 6 2.2. CONTACTLESS EMV MEDIA ...... 7 2.3. ELECTRONIC MEDIA ...... 10 2.4. TEXT MESSAGES ...... 10 2.5. IN-APP MESSAGES ...... 12 2.6. PAPER, EMAIL OR ELECTRONIC DOWNLOAD TICKETS ...... 14
3. TICKETS ...... 16 3.1. TRAVEL PASSES ...... 16 3.2. TICKETS WITH A SHORTER VALIDITY PERIOD ...... 27 3.3. FREE CARDS ...... 29 3.4. COMBINED TICKETS AND SPECIFIC CITY FARES ...... 31
4. THIRD-PARTY PAYER SCHEMES ...... 35
5. TICKET INSPECTIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND FEES ...... 36 5.1. INSPECTION PROCEDURE ...... 36 5.2. ADMINISTRATIVE FINES...... 37
6. DIAL-A-BUS ...... 38
7. LOST PROPERTY ...... 38
8. PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA ...... 39
LEXICON
INTRODUCTION
De Lijn personnel are responsible for ensuring that passengers, and the public in general, comply with the provisions of these De Lijn general terms and conditions of travel.
Preliminary remarks:
All amounts and prices are available in Addendum 1: ‘De Lijn prices’, valid from 1 February 2021, and are expressed in euros in all cases.
Some of the terms used in these ‘General terms and conditions of travel’ are explained in the Lexicon.
2 1. OBLIGATIONS OF THE PUBLIC AND PASSENGERS
1.1. Obligations of the public in general
1.1.1. Under Article 64 of the Flemish Government Order (FGO) of 14 May 2004, amended by the FGO of 26 January 2007, the following are not permitted:
- making unclean or making improper use of VVM infrastructure, installations, equipment or vehicles - obstructing VVM services in vehicles, at stops or in public spaces belonging to VVM - throwing away or leaving items on the tracks, in vehicles, at stops or in public spaces belonging to VVM - being in possession of an object or substance in vehicles, at stops or in public spaces belonging to VVM that could obviously and directly compromise the cleanliness of, cause nuisance to or inconvenience other persons - disrupting public order in vehicles, at stops or in public spaces belonging to VVM, or seriously disturbing the peace of those present by: . being in a clear state of public drunkenness or intoxication with narcotics or psychotropic substances; . being in a clear state of uncleanliness; . unwanted physical contact; . utterances or actions that are offensive, lewd, intimidating or threatening - smoking in the vehicles, shelters and the other covered public spaces belonging to VVM, without prejudice to the application of the provisions of the Royal Decree of 15 May 1990 prohibiting smoking in certain public places (e-cigarettes are also covered by that prohibition) - entering without permission the service rooms and passageways that are forbidden to the public and indicated as such - misusing the possibilities for making reservations through the switchboard for demand-based transport, as determined by the minister, including the conditions attached thereto - leaning over or crossing safety barriers or markings on the platforms - refusing to follow instructions given by De Lijn vehicle drivers or personnel with regard to compliance with the provisions set out above and below.
1.1.2. Under Article 65 of the FGO of 14 May 2004, amended by the FGO of 26 January 2007, the following are not permitted:
- damaging or disrupting VVM infrastructure, installations or equipment, or obstructing, delaying or damaging VVM vehicles - touching or obscuring the visibility of VVM signals - touching VVM electrical cables and installations - being in possession of an object or substance in vehicles, at stops or in public spaces belonging to VVM that could obviously and directly injure persons or expose them to any other danger to their physical integrity
1.2. Specific rights and obligations of passengers
1.2.1. Passengers may use the buses and trams intended for De Lijn's scheduled transport. These vehicles run according to the timetables or are put into service according to requirements.
1.2.2. Passengers are required to board at the front of the vehicle. The requirement to board at the front applies to buses only, and not to trams and trambuses. Bus passengers boarding at the front must show their ticket to the driver or scan it using the equipment provided for this purpose. Passengers with a pram or wheelchair may board a bus through any door. Passengers who do not board at the front must also scan their ticket.
3 1.2.3. Passengers who board a De Lijn vehicle must be in possession of a valid ticket or a valid free card. Passengers intending to use contactless EMV media must immediately hold the medium in front of the terminal in order to obtain a ticket. Depending on the type of ticket, they must show the ticket to the driver or scan it whenever they board a vehicle. The ticket must be valid for the entire journey that is made using it. Passengers must keep their valid ticket, free card or contactless EMV medium throughout the journey and must always be able to show it to the persons responsible for ticket inspection. Passengers must be able to prove their identity at any time (Art. 66 §1 of the FGO of 14 May 2004, amended by the FGO of 26 January 2007). This applies in particular if a passenger uses a ticket issued in his/her personal name.
1.2.4. If several people travel together using the same valid ticket, they must stay together for the entire journey. If, in this case, one of the passengers interrupts his/her journey, the other members of the party must keep the ticket for the rest of the journey.
1.2.5. Children up to the age of five travel free of charge and without a ticket, if accompanied by a person aged 12 or older. This person may be accompanied by four children under the age of six free of charge. The price of a ticket for one journey must be paid for each additional child.
1.2.6. Under Article 67 of the FGO of 14 May 2004, amended by the FGO of 26 January 2007, the following are not permitted:
- mislead the driver or another VVM personnel member during the journey by raising a false alarm or in any other way; - blocking or leaning against the doors; - throwing an object or substance out of the vehicle; - failing to comply with the stated rules regarding the exclusive use of VVM vehicle doors; - refusing to follow instructions given by the drivers of vehicles or the persons charged with supervising compliance with the provisions set out above and below.
1.2.7. Under Article 68 of the FGO of 14 May 2004, amended by the FGO of 26 January 2007, the following are not permitted:
- getting in or out of the vehicle before it is completely stationary or while it is manoeuvring; - misusing the emergency signal; - using the emergency door operation system or opening the doors in any other way, except in case of danger and when the vehicle is stationary; - using a forged ticket, a forged certificate of entitlement to free transport or a fare reduction, or a forged discount card; - using a personalised ticket, certificate of entitlement to free transport or a fare reduction, or discount card in someone else’s name.
1.2.8. During the trip, passengers must not hinder the driver by talking to him/her unnecessarily or obstructing his/her view.
1.2.9. Passengers are requested to give up their seat to persons with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women and passengers with young children. These persons have priority when boarding the vehicle.
1.2.10. Animals that can be held on a lap without causing a nuisance, guide dogs for people with a visual impairment and dogs accompanying a police officer are allowed on De Lijn vehicles free of charge. Dogs that cannot be held on a lap are also allowed free of charge if they are kept on a lead, and if they wear a muzzle if they might endanger other passengers. Dogs that are not held on a lap must sit on the floor. Passengers
4 must personally supervise any animals that they take with them on board a De Lijn vehicle. They may be held liable if an animal taken on board damages a vehicle or makes it unclean, unless it is proved that this was the fault of De Lijn or another party.
1.2.11. Passengers may bring hand luggage on board free of charge (up to two suitcases of a normal size), including wheelchairs, prams, shopping trolleys, folding bicycles or folding scooters. Passengers must personally supervise any hand luggage they bring with them on board a De Lijn vehicle. They may be held liable if hand luggage taken on board damages a vehicle, unless it is proved that the damage was caused by De Lijn or another party.
1.2.12. The carriage of bicycles is permitted on the Coastal Tram. Passengers must load their own bicycle on and off the Coastal Tram. Passengers must validate an additional ticket for each bicycle. A maximum of two bicycles per vehicle are allowed. At busy times, the driver may decide not to allow bicycles on the vehicle. The carriage of bicycles is not allowed on other De Lijn services. Folding bicycles or folding scooters are carried free of charge on De Lijn services, on condition that they are folded and comply with the rules on the carriage of hand luggage.
1.2.13. Passengers are not allowed to drink or eat on De Lijn vehicles.
1.3. De Lijn’s rights and obligations
De Lijn is responsible for organising passenger transport in Flanders in accordance with the Decree of 20 April 2001 on the organisation of passenger transport by road, the Flemish Government Order of 14 May 2004 concerning the operation and rates of the VVM, amended by the Order of 26 January 2007, and the Decree of 26 April 2019 on basic accessibility.
1.3.1. Most of the vehicles are accessible and information about the accessibility status of the stops can be found on the De Lijn website and app. This means that wheelchair users can choose either to check the accessibility status of the stops where they will be getting on and off or to make use of the registration option via the dial-a-bus switchboard. If the registration option is used, the availability of an accessible vehicle will also be checked. The driver will put out the ramp if necessary. An accompanying person or fellow-passenger may also put out the ramp. Wheelchair users must enter the vehicle unaided or with the help of an accompanying person, and position themselves correctly in the wheelchair space provided. Wheelchair users may board the vehicle if the reserved wheelchair space on the vehicle is available and the stop at least has the status of being accessible with assistance. If the wheelchair user is unable to board the vehicle for some reason, the driver will explain the reason for this to the passenger.
1.3.2. The driver will ask the passengers to take their seats in the vehicle in such a way that maximum occupancy of the vehicle is possible. He will refuse more passengers when the vehicle is full.
1.3.3. The driver of a De Lijn vehicle and the inspection personnel may refuse passengers or ask them to leave the vehicle if they do not follow the provisions of De Lijn’s General Terms and Conditions of Travel.
1.3.4. The driver may refuse animals if they pose a danger to or could compromise the cleanliness of, cause nuisance to or inconvenience other passengers. If a vehicle is overcrowded, the driver may refuse to transport animals.
1.3.5. The driver may refuse packages or objects which, due to their size, nature or smell, may harm, compromise the cleanliness of, cause nuisance to or inconvenience
5 other passengers. If a vehicle is overcrowded, the driver may refuse to carry luggage.
2. TICKET MEDIA
Passengers wishing to use De Lijn’s transport services must purchase a ticket from De Lijn. Ticket options include a single ticket, a day pass or an Omnipas travel pass. These are described in detail in Chapter 3.
A ticket is issued on a medium, which can take various forms. Possible media include a MOBIB card, contactless EMV media (cEMV), electronic medium, magnetic medium, text message, in- app message or paper. These are described in detail in this chapter.
2.1. MOBIB card
The MOBIB card is a medium for De Lijn travel passes. The general terms and conditions of travel of the MOBIB card are set out below.
Administrative fee and validity A MOBIB card is valid for five years (60 months) in all cases. After this period, no new tickets may be added to the MOBIB card. This time limit applies to the medium and not the ticket or travel pass itself.
After the validity period has expired, the customer may pay the administrative fee and request a new MOBIB card, onto which the current contracts from the expired MOBIB card will be transferred.
Customers who do not request a new MOBIB card may request a refund on any contracts which are still running, in line with the current refund rules as included in the General Terms and Conditions of Travel. The cost of a MOBIB card is never refunded.
De Lijn charges an administrative fee of 5.00 euros to create and personalise a new MOBIB card. A new MOBIB card is defined as a card issued to a customer who does not currently hold a valid MOBIB card from De Lijn, or a MOBIB card that serves as a replacement for an expired MOBIB card (after the expiry of the five-year validity period).
De Lijn charges an administrative fee of 10.00 euros to create and personalise a replacement for a MOBIB card that has not yet expired, in the event of loss or theft.
The photo on the e-ID is used to personalise the card. If this is not possible, De Lijn may permit the customer to provide a photo. However, this photo must always conform to the standards of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).
Non-receipt of MOBIB card Customers who have not received their MOBIB card and who inform De Lijn within one month after the card’s start date will receive a new card free of charge. The card that was initially issued will be deactivated. Contracts that are still running on the MOBIB card will be transferred.
A new card will be sent free of charge on a maximum of two consecutive occasions (including in the event of a defective MOBIB card under the rule explained below). On the third and subsequent occasions, an administrative fee of 10 euros will also be applied if notification is given within three months that a MOBIB card has not been received.
If notification of non-receipt is given late (one month or more after the MOBIB card’s start date), De Lijn will treat the non-received card as lost and an administrative fee will be charged.
Defective cards
6 A defective card must always be returned, or it will be treated as a lost card. A defective or malfunctioning card which is returned to De Lijn within three months of issue will be replaced free of charge. A new card will be sent free of charge on a maximum of two consecutive occasions (including in the event of the non-receipt of a MOBIB card according to the principle explained above). On the third and subsequent occasions, an administrative fee of 10 euros will also be applied when replacing a defective card within the first three months.
An administrative fee of EUR 10.00 will always be charged for the replacement of a defective or malfunctioning card returned to De Lijn more than three months after it was issued.
De Lijn will not be liable if damage occurs to the MOBIB card. If the card needs to be replaced, an administrative fee of EUR 10.00 will be charged.
Complaints regarding the use or contents of the card De Lijn reserves the right to demand the return or exchange of the card at any time and/or to prevent its use for compelling technical reasons.
Ownership of card MOBIB cards and the data on the chip are the property of De Lijn. De Lijn authorises the inspection personnel of MIVB-STIB, NMBS-SNCB and TEC to access the data on the MOBIB card’s chip while it is being used for travel on their network. This authorisation is also automatically granted to all other partners with which De Lijn enters into an interoperator partnership using MOBIB cards.
All intellectual rights with regard to a MOBIB card and its contents in the broad sense are held exclusively by De Lijn, its suppliers or service providers. The customer acquires a non-exclusive and non-transferable right of use only.
The MOBIB card must be presented together with the eID card at the request of authorised personnel.
Use The holder undertakes to comply with the conditions attached to the use of the card. The card is for strictly personal use only. - The card must be scanned for every journey or transfer on the De Lijn network in order for travel to be valid (at the time of boarding). - The holder undertakes to inform De Lijn immediately if his/her personal details change. - The holder undertakes to notify De Lijn immediately if the card is lost, stolen, defective or damaged.
Loss A MOBIB card holder whose MOBIB card (with a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas on it) has been lost or stolen must inform the Travel Pass department.
A travel pass holder whose MOBIB card has been lost or stolen may obtain a duplicate on payment of the administrative fee. The price of a duplicate MOBIB card is 10.00 euros. After payment of the administrative fee, the duplicate MOBIB card can be issued immediately at a Lijnwinkel store. In this case, the travel pass holder or the person purchasing the duplicate must provide proof of identity to the Lijnwinkel store employee. The lost MOBIB card may be deactivated at any time.
If a MOBIB card with a travel pass on it is lost, damaged or stolen, De Lijn will not issue a refund for any tickets purchased by the passenger during the period between the request and the provision of the duplicate.
2.2. Contactless EMV media
7 A contactless EMV medium (cEMV) may be used to carry a ticket.
It is not possible to purchase tickets by direct payment of cash on VVM De Lijn vehicles. VVM De Lijn vehicles therefore cannot be regarded as sales areas within the meaning of Article I.8.32.a) and b) of the Code of Economic Law of 28 February 2013. De Lijn does, however, accept the use of contactless EMV media on its vehicles: contactless EMV bank cards (debit card, credit card and pre-paid bank card), and smartphones with payment apps for contactless payments (e.g. from banks, Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc.) with a linked bank card.
How they can be used With a contactless EMV medium (cEMV), passengers may board in order to pay for their bus or tram journey. Passengers can prove that they are travelling validly using their contactless EMV medium. Contactless cEMV media may be used on all De Lijn buses and trams with the exception of the dial-a-buses and the Limburg express lines.
Travel is only possible using contactless EMV media if these are accepted; initially only Mastercard/Maestro and Visa/VPay are accepted. De Lijn reserves the right to refuse the use of your contactless EMV medium (e.g. if your bank card has been reported as stolen).
A contactless EMV medium may only be used for one passenger. It is not possible for several people to travel together using the same contactless EMV medium. The passenger must have the contactless EMV medium with him/her at all times during the journey.
To ensure that a passenger pays the correct price when boarding a vehicle and then transferring, the same contactless EMV medium must be used when transferring. For example, if you board with your contactless bank card and use your smartphone with Google/Apple Pay when you transfer, you will be charged twice for a single journey.
When a contactless EMV medium is used for the first time on any given day, De Lijn has permission to reserve the price for a maximum of three single tickets on the linked current account until the payment transaction has actually been performed (Art. 75 PSD II). If a contactless debit card is used, there must be a sufficient balance in the linked bank account to pay for at least three single tickets.
When boarding, the passenger must hold the contactless EMV medium in front of the terminal provided for the purpose and receive a positive response from the terminal (a green tick). The passenger does not have to enter a PIN code. If the contactless EMV medium was not accepted, the terminal will give a negative response (a red cross). Possible reasons for negative responses are: insufficient balance on the linked current account, lost or stolen cEMV medium, etc. The passenger is then not in possession of a valid ticket.
Transfers to other vehicles are unlimited and free of charge within a period of 60 minutes after the first time that the contactless medium was accepted by the terminal. Whenever transferring to another vehicle, the passenger must again hold the contactless medium in front of the terminal and receive a positive response from the terminal. After a transfer within 60 minutes of the first time that the contactless medium was held in front of the terminal, the journey may be completed even if the period of 60 minutes has expired.
When the contactless cEMV medium is held in front of the terminal, De Lijn is given permission to deduct the corresponding amount for the journey.
De Lijn accepts no responsibility if a passenger, for whatever reason, fails to pay for a journey using a contactless EMV medium. In such a case, the passenger will have to purchase a valid ticket through another sales channel. If the contactless EMV medium does not work, the passenger must use another contactless EMV medium or purchase another valid ticket for the journey.
Right of cancellation Passengers do not have the right to cancel their purchase of a ticket purchased using a contactless EMV medium.
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Ticket inspection In the event of a ticket inspection, the passenger must hand the contactless cEMV medium used to the inspector, who can verify whether the medium has been used correctly for payment.
Settlement At 02.29 in the morning, a calculation will be made of the amount payable to De Lijn for all journeys made during the previous day of travel. The payment will be settled automatically. Normally this happens within a few days, but in exceptional cases it may take up to 30 days.
If settlement does not take place successfully, an outstanding debt will arise. De Lijn will automatically try to settle an outstanding debt through the bank for 30 days. Passengers may also settle their debt via the customer portal. Once the debt has been settled, the contactless EMV medium may be reused.
Customer portal Passengers are able to check online what journeys have been made with a specific contactless EMV medium. This can only be done on a secure website by entering the card details or the reference code. The reference code can be found in the overview of your banking transactions labelled ‘De Lijn’.
Terminals A white cEMV terminal accepts cEMV contactless media. A working cEMV terminal will at least display the logos of the accepted card schemes. If a white cEMV terminal is defective, a yellow field with black cogwheels is displayed. In that case, the passenger must either use another white cEMV terminal on a tram, or purchase another valid ticket.
9 2.3. Electronic media
An electronic medium is a paper ticket with a chip incorporated in it which contains the necessary ticket data. This medium cannot be topped up and can be used, among other things, for a single ticket, a day pass or a Lijnkaart. The general terms and conditions of travel of the electronic medium are set out below.
Sales channels Electronic media may be purchased in advance from ticket machines (AVMs), external advance sales points or Lijnwinkel stores. Prices are the same at all purchase locations. The locations of points of sale may be found on the De Lijn website. The listed information about sales channels is neither exhaustive nor legally enforceable.
Scanning The electronic medium must be scanned whenever a passenger boards a vehicle. It must also be scanned when transferring to another vehicle.
If an electronic medium is refused by the scanning equipment, the customer must purchase another valid ticket.
Validity There is always a time limit associated with a journey made with a ticket on an electronic medium. This differs depending on the type of ticket. Before the time limit has expired, the passenger may travel and transfer freely and without restriction. The passenger may always complete his/her ride, even if this means that the time limit is exceeded. Provided the passenger transfers within the time limit, the ride may be completed, even if it goes beyond the time limit. A passenger may not transfer after the time limit.
The time limit is determined by the time stamp from the validation equipment. In the case of an electronic medium, the time limit is stored on the chip.
Electronic media expire three years after they have been issued at the latest. The expiry date is shown on the back of the electronic medium. When the expiry date has passed, the passenger is unable to recover any unused tickets issued on the medium.
Refunds A ticket on an electronic medium will not be replaced or refunded in the event of its loss.
A defective electronic medium will be replaced by De Lijn unless it is found after checking that: - a fraudulent transaction has been carried out with it - the ticket has been intentionally damaged - the ticket is damaged in such a way that the essential data (type, balance) on the ticket are illegible.
2.4. Text messages
Tickets may be delivered in the form of a text message. This text message may be the medium for an sms-ticket or an sms-daypass. The general terms and conditions of travel of this medium are set out below.
Sms-tickets are electronic tickets in the form of a text message, which can be purchased by the sending of a text by mobile phone by passengers entitled to use the text messaging services of a Belgian telecom operator.
Request for an sms-ticket Sms-tickets are paid for through the telecom operator.
10 To purchase a valid sms-ticket, the passenger must send a text to the abbreviated number 4884. The message differs depending on the type of ticket: for example ‘DL’ for a single sms-ticket or ‘DLD’ for an sms-daypass.
The use of uppercase and lowercase letters is allowed (e.g., 'DL', 'dl', 'Dl', etc.), as are spaces at the start, in the middle or at the end (e.g. ‘ DL ’, ’dl’, ’ D L ‘, …). Incorrect messages (e.g. 'DLA', 'DLL') will not be accepted. Sms-tickets will not be issued for such messages. The requesting passenger will be notified of this by an error message sent by text message. This error message is not a valid ticket. Sms-tickets cannot be purchased through foreign telecom operators.
For passengers entitled to use the text messaging services of a telecom operator through a mobile phone subscription, the option to purchase sms-tickets depends on the subscription’s terms and conditions.
If the passenger has sent a valid text message to the abbreviated number and has sufficient call credit, he/she will receive an sms-ticket showing the following information:
- the security code by which the sms-ticket is identifiable; - the time limit of the sms-ticket; - the price of the sms-ticket;
If, for technical reasons or due to insufficient call credit, an sms-ticket cannot be delivered to the passenger, he/she will be notified by an error message sent by text message. This error message is not a valid ticket.
A passenger travelling on an sms-ticket must purchase the ticket before the start of the journey. This means that the passenger must have received his/her sms-ticket before taking a seat on the vehicle.
Operator charge The passenger pays an operator fee of 0.15 euros for each message sent to the paying number 4884. This amount is charged even if an sms-ticket cannot be issued, e.g. in the event of an error message.
Presentation of ticket Passengers with sms-tickets must spontaneously and clearly show their sms-ticket to the driver whenever they board a vehicle. This is not necessary on trams where passengers are also allowed to board at the middle or back door. If the sms-ticket is not fully visible on the screen of the mobile phone, the driver may ask the passenger to make the sms-ticket and sender number fully visible.
Validity Sms-tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
The receipt of an sms-ticket entitles the holder to a certain maximum travel time (e.g. 60 minutes for a single sms-ticket). The passenger may travel and transfer freely until the expiry of the travel time. If the journey takes longer, a new sms-ticket must be purchased. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. The ticket’s period of validity is shown in the text message received. Any additional conditions for the use of special sms-tickets are shown on the ticket. For example, these could include geographical restrictions or validity only when presented together with an entrance ticket for a P&R car park.
An sms-ticket is always linked to the SIM card of the passenger who purchased it, and not to the mobile phone. If the SIM card is replaced during the validity period of an sms-ticket, the ticket will therefore be lost.
11 Several people travelling together may purchase sms-tickets using the same mobile phone. An sms-ticket must be ordered in a separate text message for each passenger. If several people travel together with several valid sms-tickets (one per passenger) stored on the same mobile phone, they must remain together for the entire journey. If one of them breaks his/her journey, the others must keep the mobile phone with them for the rest of the journey.
Passengers are not allowed to:
- pass on a received sms-ticket still in its validity period by handing over the mobile phone or the separate SIM card to another user; - forward an sms-ticket to another user.
Such practices are regarded as fraudulent.
Refunds The price of the sms-ticket and the operator charge for the text message with which the ticket was requested will not be refunded. Right of cancellation De Lijn accepts no responsibility if a passenger, for whatever reason, fails to purchase an sms- ticket. In such a case, the passenger will have to purchase a valid ticket through another sales channel.
The passenger does not have the right to cancel the purchase of the sms-ticket.
Processing of personal data When a passenger orders an sms-ticket, this will lead to the processing of the passenger’s personal data. De Lijn is responsible for the processing of these personal data.
Customer service For more information about sms-ticketing, passengers may visit the De Lijn website (delijn.be) or contact De Lijn Info. In the case of problems with a specific sms-ticket, passengers can also contact De Lijn Info on 070 220 200 (0.30 euros per minute). The opening hours of De Lijn Info are listed on the De Lijn website.
Special inspection procedure for sms-tickets Passengers who use sms-tickets must be ready at all times to show the inspector their sms- ticket and the time of its receipt in a clear and legible manner. If the sms-ticket is not fully visible on the screen of the mobile phone, the inspector may ask the passenger to make the sms-ticket and sender number fully visible.
Whenever there is an inspection, passengers travelling with an sms-ticket must be able to present a valid ticket. Passengers travelling with an sms-ticket are responsible for showing a valid ticket to the inspector. De Lijn accepts no responsibility if a passenger fails to present a valid sms-ticket.
The inspector is authorised to ask for the passenger’s mobile phone number when inspecting an sms-ticket. The inspector may pass on this mobile number to the Helpdesk by telephone or text message, after which the Helpdesk can use this mobile number to verify the purchase of an sms-ticket. At the inspector's request, the customer service may send a verification message to the mobile phone number as provided by the passenger to verify the purchase of an sms- ticket.
2.5. In-app messages
Tickets may be issued in the form of an in-app message, which can be purchased on a smartphone either through an m-supplier’s mobile app or through De Lijn's mobile app. This message may be the medium for an m-ticket, an m-daypass or an m-card10, among other possibilities. The general terms and conditions of travel of this medium are set out below.
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Use of the app Passengers must download the app from De Lijn or an m-supplier of their choice and create an account in order to make use of the m-services. They must then accept the terms and conditions of use of the provider (De Lijn or the m-supplier).
In order to order an m-ticket, passengers must have an agreement with their telecom operator allowing them to make calls and use mobile Internet. Their mobile device must have a valid SIM card (mobile number).
An m-ticket is only valid if activated. In the De Lijn app, passengers must activate the m-ticket themselves after purchase, whereas in the apps of m-suppliers, the m-ticket is usually activated automatically at the time of purchase. Service fee M-suppliers are allowed to charge service fees for downloading and/or using their app. The m- supplier is not allowed to increase the price of the ticket itself. De Lijn itself does not charge a service fee for the use of the De Lijn app.
Sales channels Payment for the m-ticket is made either via an m-supplier or via De Lijn. M-suppliers who offer m-products for sale do so in the name and on behalf of De Lijn.
An m-ticket may be purchased by any smartphone user who has an account with either an m- supplier or De Lijn, directly or through his/her employer, regardless of whether he/she is the customer of a domestic or a foreign telecom operator.
A passenger who has ordered an m-ticket will receive a ticket from De Lijn showing the following information: - the security code by which the m-ticket is identifiable; - the time limit of the m-ticket; - the price of the m-ticket.
If, for technical reasons, an m-ticket cannot be delivered, the passenger will be notified by the m-supplier via an in-app error message. This error message is not a valid ticket.
If the passenger is in a location where there is no mobile reception to order an m-ticket, or has too little credit to do so, or fails for any other reason to purchase an m-ticket, neither De Lijn nor the m-supplier accept responsibility for this inability to order an m-ticket. The passenger must purchase another type of ticket in these circumstances.
Depending on the provider of the m-ticket (De Lijn or an m-supplier), the ticket may still need to be activated after purchase. The passenger must have an active m-ticket before boarding the vehicle. A passenger who fails to activate an m-ticket will be considered to be without a valid ticket in the event of an inspection.
Presenting tickets Passengers must spontaneously and clearly show their active m-ticket to the driver whenever they board a vehicle. This is not necessary on vehicles where passengers are also allowed to board at the middle or back door, unless the passenger boards at the front. If the m-ticket is not fully visible on the screen of the smartphone, the driver may ask the passenger to make the m- ticket and sender number fully visible.
Validity M-tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services; however, they may not be used on the Limburg express lines.
An activated m-ticket entitles the passenger to a specific travel time. Before the time limit has expired, the passenger may travel and transfer freely. If the journey takes longer, a new m- ticket must be purchased. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. The ticket’s period of validity is shown on the m-ticket received. Any additional conditions for the
13 use of special m-tickets are shown on the ticket. For example, these could include geographical restrictions, time restrictions or validity only when presented together with an entrance ticket for a P&R car park.
An m-ticket is linked, for inspection purposes, to the passenger's account and mobile number. The SIM card may therefore not be replaced during the validity period of an m-ticket.
Several people travelling together may purchase m-tickets using the same smartphone. An m- ticket must be ordered for each passenger. If several people travel together with several valid m-tickets (one per passenger) stored on the same smartphone, they must remain together for the entire journey. If one of them breaks his/her journey, the others must keep the smartphone with them for the rest of the journey. If the m-ticket is issued in the name of a passenger, the passenger concerned must be in the travel party for the entire journey.
Passengers are not allowed to: - pass on a received m-ticket still in its validity period by handing over the smartphone to another user; - forward an m-ticket to another user.
Such practices are regarded as fraudulent.
Refunds The price of the m-ticket will not be refunded under any circumstances.
Right of cancellation Passengers do not have the right to cancel their purchase of an m-ticket after it has been activated. Where a ticket entitles the holder to multiple journeys (e.g. an m-card10), the customer's right to cancel expires as soon as the first journey has been activated.
Processing of personal data When a passenger orders an m-ticket, this will lead to the processing of his/her personal data. De Lijn is responsible for the processing of these personal data in connection with the delivery and inspection of the m-ticket. The m-supplier is responsible for all other processing operations.
Special inspection procedure for m-tickets Passengers who use m-tickets must be ready at all times to show the inspector their ticket and the time of its receipt in a clear and legible manner. If the m-ticket is not fully visible on the screen of the smartphone, the inspector may ask the passenger to make the m-ticket and sender number fully visible.
The passenger is responsible for showing a valid m-ticket to the inspector. De Lijn accepts no responsibility if a passenger fails to present a valid m-ticket.
The inspector is authorised to ask for the passenger’s mobile phone number or proof of identity when inspecting an m-ticket. The inspector may pass on the mobile number or identity information to the Helpdesk by telephone or text message, after which the Helpdesk can use this mobile number or identity information to verify the purchase of an m-ticket. At the inspector’s request, the customer service may send a verification message to the mobile phone number as provided by the passenger to verify the purchase of an m-ticket.
2.6. Paper, email or electronic download tickets
Paper, email or electronic download tickets may be issued in the name of a specific passenger. These tickets may be purchased through the De Lijn website or through a third party with which De Lijn has an agreement. The paper or email ticket must always show the following information: - The passenger’s surname and first name. - A unique security code to identify the ticket.
14 - The ticket’s validity period, including start and end time. - If the ticket allows several passengers to travel together: the maximum number of passengers who may travel simultaneously with the ticket. The passenger in whose name the ticket is issued must always be in the travel party. - Any additional documents that the passenger needs in order to be able to use the ticket, e.g. entrance ticket for a P&R car park or event ticket. - If applicable, additional restrictions on the right to use the ticket, e.g. geographical region, time frame or line number.
Sales channels Tickets may be purchased through the De Lijn website or through a third-party website, which may offer De Lijn tickets either on their own or in combination with another product or admission ticket.
Registration and purchase When passengers purchase a ticket through the De Lijn website, they must register and create an account. This may be done through the De Lijn website or through the third-party website. They must then accept the terms and conditions of use. To be able to order a ticket, the passenger must be able to complete the online purchase. When creating the account, the passenger will provide a number of items of personal data that uniquely identify him. The tickets subsequently purchased will be issued for the passenger concerned.
If, for technical reasons, a ticket cannot be delivered, the passenger will be notified by the De Lijn website or by the third party. This error message is not a valid ticket or a reason for travelling without a valid ticket.
De Lijn accepts no responsibility if a passenger, for whatever reason, fails to purchase a valid ticket. In such a case, the passenger will have to purchase a valid ticket through another sales channel.
Validity Tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines. For some tickets, additional restrictions apply, e.g. a region within which travel is allowed or a line number. These additional restrictions are explicitly stated on the issued ticket.
A ticket entitles the passenger to a specific travel time. Before the time limit has expired, the passenger may travel and transfer freely. If the journey takes longer, a new ticket must be purchased. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. The ticket’s period of validity is shown on the ticket received.
An individual passenger is not permitted to use a ticket issued in the name of another person. Such practices are regarded as fraudulent. If several persons travel together, each passenger must have a valid ticket and the passenger in whose name the ticket was issued must always be in the travel party.
Refunds The price of the ticket will not be refunded under any circumstances.
Processing of personal data When a passenger orders a paper or email ticket, this will lead to the processing of his/her personal data. De Lijn is responsible for the processing of these personal data.
Special inspection procedure for tickets issued on paper or email In the event of a ticket inspection, the passenger must always be able to present a clearly legible printed paper or digital version of the ticket as well as any additional documents mentioned in the special terms and conditions of the issued ticket. The inspector may ask the passenger to make his/her personal data and the security code fully visible.
15 The inspector is authorised, when checking tickets on paper or email, to verify the identity of the passenger and to pass this on to the Helpdesk by telephone or text message, after which the Helpdesk will use this information to verify the valid purchase of a ticket.
3. TICKETS
Passengers wishing to use De Lijn’s transport services must purchase a ticket from De Lijn. Ticket options include a single ticket, a day pass or an Omnipas travel pass. These are described in detail in this chapter.
A ticket is issued on a medium, which can take various forms. Possible media include a MOBIB card, contactless EMV media (cEMV), electronic medium, magnetic medium, text message, in- app message or paper. These are described in detail in Chapter 2.
De Lijn offers various types of tickets, which have specific characteristics in terms of validity period, geographical scope, ways of obtaining them, nature of medium, etc. These characteristics are defined for each ticket in the description given in this document. The prices of the various tickets are set by the Flemish Government. In addition, De Lijn may – in consultation with partners or otherwise – offer special/temporary tickets with specific characteristics that differ from those of regular tickets.
Users must at all times and without compensation comply with any change (fare-related or otherwise) to their ticket in use as well as with any change in De Lijn’s offer or more generally in the terms and conditions for accessing and using public transport, arising a decision by the competent authority or the competent body with due observance of the applicable regulations, or arising from changes established by or agreed with the competent authorities or bodies of the other public transport networks with which De Lijn cooperates in the context of interoperability (MIVB-STIB, TEC and NMBS-SNCB).
All users of the De Lijn network must have a valid ticket with them. By way of exception, children under the age of six years travel free of charge if accompanied by an adult who has a valid ticket and provided this adult is not accompanied by more than four children under the age of six. The price of a ticket for one journey must be paid for each additional child.
Users must present their ticket whenever they are requested to do so by De Lijn inspection personnel in the course of their duties. Passengers who have a ticket issued in their name must prove their identity to any member of the De Lijn inspection personnel who asks them to do so in the course of his/her duties.
The list of tickets and of types of medium on which tickets are offered is neither exhaustive nor enforceable.
3.1. Travel passes
3.1.1. Description A travel pass is a ticket issued in a passenger’s name that is valid for a certain period on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services with the exception of the Limburg express lines. A travel pass is also valid for some extra services on the occasion of certain events. The travel pass is provided on a MOBIB card. Other media may also be accepted with the agreement of De Lijn.
3.1.2. Pricing Travel passes are provided at a fixed price depending on the age of the passenger.
- A passenger aged 6 to 11 years on the first day of validity of the travel pass may purchase a Buzzy Pazz -12.
16 - A passenger aged 12 to 24 years on the first day of validity of the travel pass may purchase a Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years. - A passenger aged 25 to 64 years on the first day of validity of the travel pass may purchase an Omnipas 25-64 years. - A passenger aged 65 years or over on the first day of validity of the travel pass may purchase an Omnipas 65+ years.
There may be a price difference between these four travel passes.
Travel passes must be paid for in full and in advance, either in cash or with an authorised payment card at a Lijnwinkel store, or by bank transfer if the travel pass is sent by post, or by means of an online e-commerce transaction.
The price of the Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is determined according to the applicable rates on the first day of validity of the travel pass, regardless of the purchase date or the date of payment invitation. In the event of a price change, the passenger must pay the new price from the date of the first renewal of the travel pass with a start date on or after the date of entry into force of the new price.
The Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or the Omnipas 25-64 years may be valid for one month, three months or twelve months, whereas the Buzzy Pazz 6-11 years and the Omnipas 65+ are only available for a period of validity of twelve months; all have a variable start date to be chosen by the passenger. In the context of combination travel passes or third-party payer schemes, travel passes with a different validity period may be issued.
The Buzzy Pazz and Omnipas are subject to the same terms and conditions of purchase and use.
3.1.3. Discount rate travel passes Under certain conditions, Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years or Omnipasses 25-64 years may be issued to certain persons or target groups at a discount rate.
A Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years is subject to the normal regulations applicable to a normal rate Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas.
If the discount rate is given on the basis of a discount card, the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years remains valid throughout its validity period, even if the validity period of the discount card used expires. The right to use a discount rate travel pass is determined exclusively at the time of purchase of the travel pass. If the travel pass holder is entitled to several forms of free transport, the travel pass with the longest period of validity will be issued.
Existing discount rate travel passes:
- Household discount Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years - Buzzy Pazz 6-11 years - Omnipas 65+ - Transport Guarantee travel pass (VG travel pass) - Preferential Reimbursement travel pass (VT travel pass) - Free transport for former military personnel and disabled former military personnel - VDAB job pass - Buzzy Pazz and Omnipas for people with disabilities
Each of these travel passes is discussed in a separate chapter below.
3.1.3.1. Household discount Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years
If several Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years need to be purchased within the household, you can use the Household Discount Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years. Only travel pass holders between 12 and 24
17 years who are part of the same household are eligible. Travel pass holders under 12 years are therefore not eligible for a household discount.
The discounts are only granted if the Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years have the same start date and validity period.
The discount is granted automatically and amounts to:
Travel pass type Travel pass 1 Travel pass 2 Travel pass 3 and subsequent 1 month Full price 20% discount 20% discount 3 months Full price 20% discount 20% discount 1 year Full price 20% discount fixed price
The discounts may be granted directly and immediately with retroactive effect for up to 12 months on already purchased travel passes.
The granted discounts expire or are recalculated if one or more of the Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years are cancelled.
In concrete terms, the application of the discount within a household context means that a parent can purchase Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years for all children who are officially domiciled with that parent and for his/her own children who do not live at the same address but whose parentage is documented.
It may not also be applied to the partner’s children who do not live at that address and are not related to the parent applying for the household discount.
De Lijn relies exclusively on the household composition certificate or an extract from https://mijndossier.rrn.fgov.be/ for household members who officially live at the same address. For other household members, a birth certificate or a certificate of recognition or adoption must be supplied to prove the parental relationship.
The supporting documents provided must be no more than three months old.
COMBINATIONS OF DISCOUNTS - ORDER OF APPLICATION:
- When a Buzzy Pazz is issued, there may be three parties to be taken into account for payment: the household, a local authority acting as a third-party payer for its residents, and another third-party payer, e.g. an employer.
- Buzzy Pazzes which are partially paid for by a third-party payer (e.g. an employer or other body not acting as a local authority) are not included in counting the number of Buzzy Pazzes within the household in the context of granting household discounts.
- The household discount may be combined with the third-party payer schemes agreed with local authorities (if the local authority contributes to the entire Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years target group). If an agreement has been concluded between De Lijn and a local authority in the context of the third-party payer scheme, with the local authority paying part of the cost of Buzzy Pazzes for its residents, the household discount is applied first. The contribution by the local authority is calculated on the remaining balance. Finally, if applicable, the educational institution discount is deducted.
- The travel pass holder always pays the remainder of the cost of the Buzzy Pazz, after deduction of all the above discounts, and taking into account the order of application as described above.
- In all the above cases, no account is taken of employer contributions that take the form of a subsequent reimbursement to the employee. De Lijn has no information about these contributions and is therefore unable to take them into account when granting
18 the other types of discount. In such cases, travel pass holders living in a municipality or city which pays a contribution towards the cost of the travel pass may also recover part of the cost from their employer.
- For entitled children in special education, the Buzzy Pazz is paid by for by the school. In this case, the Buzzy Pazz must be treated in the same way as a travel pass where the employer has entered into a third-party payer scheme with De Lijn. Buzzy Pazzes purchased in this way should therefore not be included when calculating household discounts. Only contributions made by a local authority as a third-party payer may be applied to these Buzzy Pazzes.
- The household discounts on the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years may not be combined with the discounts described below. This means that Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years that are issued free of charge or at a reduced rate through the discounts described below are not included when counting the number of Buzzy Pazzes within the household in connection with the granting of household discounts.
3.1.3.2. Buzzy Pazz 6-11 years
Anyone aged 6 to 11 years on the start date of the travel pass may purchase a De Lijn travel pass at a reduced price for 12 months.
19 3.1.3.3. Omnipas 65+
Anyone aged 65+ years on the start date of the travel pass may purchase a De Lijn travel pass at a reduced price for 12 months.
3.1.3.4. Transport Guarantee travel pass (VG travel pass)
A Transport Guarantee travel pass is a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas and may be issued for a period of 12 months to the following persons:
- persons receiving an integration income and those equate with them, or persons staying at a local reception initiative, and their household members: on the basis of a certificate issued by the Public Welfare Centre to the Travel Pass department, or via mobiguider; - persons receiving a guaranteed income for the elderly, or an income guarantee for the elderly: on the basis of a copy of the certificate issued by the National Pension Office to the Travel Pass department; - asylum-seekers in the care of Fedasil (the Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers), the Red Cross or Flemish Refugee Action: on the basis of an application by the institution to the Travel Pass department; - young people in the care of an assisted living facility: on the basis of an application by the institution to the Travel Pass department.
No discounts are allowed on the price of a Transport Guarantee travel pass; however, it may be combined with a contribution towards the cost by a third-party payer.
De Lijn is authorised to conclude contracts with other parties for the issue of Transport Guarantee travel passes.
3.1.3.5. Preferential Reimbursement travel pass (VT travel pass)
A Preferential Reimbursement travel pass is a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas and is issued for a period of 12 months. It may be purchased by holders of a valid discount card issued by the NMBS-SNCB (the ‘WIGW card’ or ‘preferential reimbursement card’), on the basis of a valid ‘certificate of preferential reimbursement for medical care’ issued by the health insurance fund or via mobiguider.
Children and teenagers may obtain a Preferential Reimbursement travel pass on the basis of a valid preferential reimbursement card of their parents and a household composition certificate. This certificate must be no more than two months old. Children or teenagers without access to their parents' preferential reimbursement card may obtain a Preferential Reimbursement travel pass based on an original certificate from their health insurance fund showing their preferential reimbursement status.
The start date of the Preferential Reimbursement travel pass must always fall within the validity period of the preferential reimbursement card’s validation ticket.
No discounts are allowed on the price of a Preferential Reimbursement travel pass; however, it may be combined with a contribution towards the cost by a third-party payer.
3.1.3.6. Free transport for former military personnel and disabled former military personnel
The following groups of people are entitled to free public transport:
- former military personnel, political prisoners and disabled former military personnel: . the categories of disabled former military personnel (in possession of a 75% discount card with code 30, 31, 32, 50, 51 or 52) and equated persons with a statutory right to a discount, whose discount cards are issued by FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, or FPS Finance . accompanying persons travelling with such disabled persons who are visually impaired or unable to travel alone do so free of charge if the disabled person's
20 discount card indicates ‘accompanying person permitted’; or if the disabled person holds a De Lijn ‘accompanying person’s card’
- former military personnel and equated persons with a statutory right to a discount whose 75% or 50% discount cards are issued by FPS Mobility and Transport, Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment or FPS Finance.
These travel passes are issued by NMBS-SNCB and are valid on all public transport networks in Belgium with the exception of MIVB-STIB, which issues its own ticket.
3.1.3.7. VDAB job pass
Job-seekers with a vocational training contract with VDAB may only obtain a free Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas through their VDAB support worker. This travel pass may be valid for one month, three months or twelve months, depending on the duration of the training.
3.1.3.8. Buzzy Pazz and Omnipas for people with disabilities
Persons are entitled to a free Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas if they are domiciled in the Flemish Region and meet one of the conditions listed below.
- being registered with the Flemish Agency for People with Disabilities (VAPH); - receiving an income-replacement and/or integration allowance from the Federal Public Service Social Security (FODSZ-SPFSS); - being entitled to special employment support measures (BTOM) from the Flemish Public Employment and Vocational Training Service; - being recognised by Flemish Social Protection (VSB) as entitled to Elderly Person’s Assistance Benefit (THAB).
For this free travel pass to be issued, those entitled to it must be in possession of a valid MOBIB card. De Lijn will send a payment invitation for the purchase of a MOBIB card. Those who are entitled and who possess a valid MOBIB card will then be automatically issued a travel pass by De Lijn.
3.1.4. Sales channels
A Buzzy Pass or Omnipas may be purchased through the following sales channels:
- over the counter in a Lijnwinkel store - in writing from the Travel Pass department - through e-commerce
However, not all travel passes are available through all three sales channels.
At the Lijnwinkel store Travel passes may be paid for in cash and issued immediately at a Lijnwinkel store if the customer has a registered MOBIB card. When applying for a new MOBIB card, the passenger may, after payment and if desired, be issued with a temporary ticket to cover the period between the travel pass start date and the receipt of the MOBIB card. The MOBIB card will be sent to the applicant’s home within 15 days.
In writing from the Travel Pass department All travel passes may be requested in writing from the Travel Pass department, unless alternative arrangements have been made in the context of a third-party payer agreement.
A written application to the Travel Pass department for a Buzzy Pass or Omnipas must be made using the specific Buzzy Pass or Omnipas application form or the web form. When a travel pass is applied for, the national register number of the prospective holder must be stated. The
21 applicant must fill in all the indicated fields in full and submit the application form to De Lijn’s Travel Pass department at least 15 calendar days before the desired start date of the travel pass. This department will send a payment invitation for the travel pass.
If the period between the receipt of the application form and the requested start date of the Buzzy Pass or Omnipas is less than 15 calendar days, the Travel Pass department will change the start date of the travel pass on the payment invitation to at least 15 calendar days in the future.
When a bank transfer is made to pay for a Buzzy Pass or Omnipas for this period, the payment identification reference on the transfer form must be quoted.
Travel passes through e-commerce Customers may buy a travel pass online. Travel passes purchased by the customer must be intended exclusively for use by the customer or members of his/her household. The travel pass must be paid for by electronic payment.
The following travel passes are obtainable online:
- regular Buzzy Pazz, Omnipas, Omnipas 65+ - Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years with household discount if all pass holders belong to the same household as shown on the household composition certificate and in accordance with the provisions of the household discount. - the aforementioned travel passes with a ‘DBS 1’ contribution from a local authority, unless the third-party payer agreement requires the presentation of a certificate.
The above list is not exhaustive.
Buzzy Pazzes 12-24 years with a household discount where the children do not appear on the household composition certificate may not be issued online. A Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas with a Preferential Reimbursement or Transport Guarantee discount may not be purchased online.
The travel pass may start no earlier than the day after its purchase and no later than two months afterwards. If the purchase of the travel pass is accompanied by the purchase of a new MOBIB card, the passenger may, after payment and if desired, be issued with a temporary ticket to cover the period between the travel pass start date and the receipt of the MOBIB card. The MOBIB card will be sent to the applicant’s home within fifteen days.
General terms and conditions for online travel passes:
- The customer is the household member applying for the travel pass(es) on his/her own behalf and/or for one or more household members. The travel pass holder is the household member for whom the travel pass is intended. The customer and the travel pass holder do not necessarily have to be the same person in the household.
- The customer declares that he/she is at least 18 years old and is legally authorised to purchase services through this website. The customer accepts liability for all financial transactions made in connection with the use of this website, including those made on his/her behalf, for example by minors living in the household.
- A new MOBIB card ordered online will be sent by post. The travel pass will be loaded onto the card the next time it is scanned on a bus.
- The travel pass holder and/or the customer hereby accept that the online order for a De Lijn travel pass has the same evidential value as a written application on which the customer's signature appears. The travel pass has the same evidential value as a travel pass that was issued through another De Lijn channel.
- After proceeding through all screens relating to the purchase, the customer will receive a confirmation email. If the travel pass holder and/or customer do not receive a
22 confirmation email or if they notice an anomaly in the order, they must inform De Lijn Info of this as soon as possible on the number 070/220 200 (0.30 euros/min.) or by emailing [email protected], providing proof of the anomaly.
3.1.5. Renewal
Provided that there is no intervening period during which it is not held, a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is renewed as follows:
Renewal at a Lijnwinkel store Travel pass holders may purchase a renewal of their Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas at a Lijnwinkel store on the basis of their current travel pass or the payment invitation. This may be done no earlier than 100 days before the start date of the travel pass. The Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas will be created immediately, with the exception of free or discount rate travel passes as mentioned at II.4.4 onwards, for which the right to a discount cannot be determined through mobiguider. When the MOBIB card is scanned for the first time, the travel pass will be loaded onto the MOBIB card.
If a monthly travel pass is purchased at a Lijnwinkel store, the travel pass holder will receive a payment invitation for the next monthly travel pass by post or email after a few days. The start date for the proposed renewal will reflect the expiry date of the current travel pass. Travel pass holders who indicate at the time of purchase that they do not wish to receive a payment invitation must return to a Lijnwinkel store to renew their travel pass.
If a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas with a validity period longer than one month is purchased from a Lijnwinkel store, the passenger will receive a payment invitation for the next travel pass approximately 30 calendar days before the expiry date. The start date for the proposed renewal will reflect the expiry date of the current travel pass.
Renewal via payment invitation If a travel pass holder has paid in response to a payment invitation accompanying a renewal proposal, the Travel Pass department will create the travel pass after payment has been received in the bank account of De Lijn’s Travel Pass department. When the MOBIB card is scanned for the first time, the travel pass will be loaded onto the MOBIB card.
For monthly travel passes issued on the basis of a bank payment, an invitation to pay for the following month’s travel pass will be sent out unless the start date of the new travel pass is too far in the future.
A payment invitation for the renewal will be sent approximately 30 calendar days before the travel pass expiry date for:
- travel passes for 1 month purchased by bank payment and with a starting date more than 1 month in the future - travel passes for 3 or 12 months - travel passes for 1 month purchased at a Lijnwinkel store, unless the travel pass holder indicates at the time of purchase that he/she does not wish to receive a payment invitation for a renewal.
23 Renewal online After payment has been made for renewal of the travel pass, the Travel Pass department will create the travel pass after payment has been received in the bank account of De Lijn’s Travel Pass department. When the MOBIB card is scanned for the first time, the travel pass will be loaded onto the MOBIB card.
For monthly travel passes issued on the basis of an online payment, an invitation to pay for the following month’s travel pass will be sent out together with the travel pass for the month concerned unless the start date of the new travel pass is too far in the future.
A payment invitation for the renewal will be sent approximately 30 calendar days before the travel pass expiry date for:
- travel passes for 1 month purchased by online payment and with a starting date more than 1 month in the future - travel passes for 3 or 12 months
3.1.6. Validity
Travel passes are valid during the period of validity stated on the travel pass and until 03.59 on the day following the validity end date.
Example: A travel pass that is valid until 7 February 2018 may be used on 8 February 2018 until 03.59 at the latest.
A travel pass is strictly personal and non-transferable. This means that the holder of the travel pass may not be changed during the validity period.
Travel pass holders who take a place on a vehicle and are unable to present their travel pass must pay for their journey in some other way. This ticket is non-refundable. A travel pass holder who fails to purchase a ticket will be considered to be without a valid ticket in the event of an inspection.
Travel pass holders undertake not to commit fraud or attempted fraud against De Lijn through the use of their travel pass, either for their own benefit or for that of third parties. If a travel pass holder does commit fraud or attempted fraud, an administrative fine will be imposed.
The MOBIB card (with or without a travel pass on it) may be confiscated by an inspector if it is used in breach of the existing regulations, for example if:
- a person other than the travel pass holder travels using the travel pass - the travel pass holder uses or attempts to use the travel pass for a period other than that for which it was issued - the essential data on the MOBIB card or travel pass have become illegible or has been falsified
If a travel pass is confiscated, the holder will be considered to be travelling without a valid ticket.
3.1.7. Late issue
If the application for the purchase or renewal of a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is made correctly, but the travel pass is issued late by De Lijn, De Lijn will refund the cost of any tickets purchased by the travel pass holder up to the date of receipt of the travel pass under certain conditions:
- The travel pass holder must keep the purchased tickets pending receipt of the Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas and attach them to the refund request.
24 - The date of issue or validation of the tickets submitted must correspond to the days on which the travel pass holder would normally have been able to use the Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas.
- If the travel pass application was submitted late, the potential refund period for tickets will only start from the 16th calendar day after receipt of the application form, and/or 10 calendar days after payment for the travel pass has been made to the bank account of the Travel Pass department.
- If an incomplete travel pass application is submitted or documents are missing, the cost of tickets will only be refunded in accordance with the provisions of the previous section on receipt of the missing data or documents.
- If a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is renewed, the holder is entitled to the refund of the cost of any tickets purchased if the holder’s payment to the bank account of the Travel Pass department was made at least 10 calendar days before the start date of the renewal.
3.1.8. Cancellations - refunds
If a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is cancelled, the travel pass on the MOBIB card will be deactivated. Such cancellations are processed exclusively by the Travel Pass department.
When a refund is made for a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas, an administrative fee is always charged, except where a travel pass holder cancels a travel pass because he/she has received another travel pass from De Lijn, or where a valid right to cancel exists in the case of an online travel pass. The administrative fee of 10.00 euros will be collected by deducting it from the refund given for the travel pass. If the total amount to be refunded after deduction of the administrative fee is less than 1.00 euro, a refund will not be made.
If a travel pass is permanently confiscated, the travel pass price will not be refunded.
Refund of cost of travel pass on receipt of another travel pass A travel pass holder who cancels a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas and requests a refund because he/she has received another travel pass from De Lijn will be refunded the cost of the original Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas after its deactivation in respect of the number of days for which the travel pass is still valid from the start date of the new travel pass. The same applies if the holder of the Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas has received a travel pass from another public transport operator that is also valid on the De Lijn network. Only travel passes with a validity period of 3 or 12 months are eligible for a refund. Refunds will not be made on monthly travel passes, or on discount rate travel passes with the exception of travel passes (3 and 12 months) with a 20% discount and Transport Guarantee/Preferential Reimbursement travel passes.
Refund in the event of death If the Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas is cancelled and a refund requested due to the death of the travel pass holder, the refund will be based on the proportion of the travel pass’s total period of validity represented by the number of unused calendar days. The refund will be made to the lawful beneficiary on provision of a copy of the certificate of succession or proof of power of attorney.
Refund of cost of current travel pass without renewal A refund will only be given for a Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or an Omnipas 25-64 years that is valid for 3 or 12 months and was purchased at full price – with the exception of a travel pass with a 20% household discount. The cost of a monthly travel pass will never be refunded.
Op maandabonnementen, abonnementen tegen verminderd tarief met uitzondering van abonnementen (3 en 12 maand) met 20% gezinskorting, worden geen terugbetalingen gedaan.
The travel pass holder may cancel his/her current Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years by writing to the Travel Pass department or at a Lijnwinkel store.
25 • If the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years is returned before the start date of the validity period, the travel pass holder will be refunded the paid price of the travel pass, minus 10% and the administrative fee.
• If the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years is cancelled after the start date of the validity period, it will be deemed to have been used until the date on which it is deactivated at a Lijnwinkel store or through the Travel Pass department, or if it is returned by post, up to and including the date of posting.
Refund of the cost of an annual travel pass The amount of the refund depends on the day on which the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas 25-64 years is returned. The amount of the refund is determined by deducting 30% of the price of the travel pass for the first month, 10% for any subsequent month or part-month, and the administrative fee. From the eighth month onwards no refund will be given.
Months % refunded 0 90% 1 70% 2 60% 3 50% 4 40% 5 30% 6 20% 7 10%
Refund of the cost of a 3-month travel pass Again, the date of return is used to calculate the amount of the refund.
The amount of the refund is calculated by deducting 30% of the price of the travel pass for the first 15 days, 15% for the remaining days of the first month, 15% for the first 15 days of the second month, 15% for the remaining days of the second month and the administrative fee. No refund will be given for the third month.
Period % refunded 0 90% Days 1-15 of first month 70% Remaining days of first month 55% Days 1-15 of second month 40% Remaining days of second month 25% Third month 0%
Refund of the cost of a discount rate travel pass Cancellation of a Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years for which a household discount has been given:
- If the cancelled Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years is for a member of a household for which a household discount has been given, all travel passes belonging to this household must be cancelled through the Travel Pass department.
- The Travel Pass department will then determine the amount of any refund. If the balance is positive for the customer, a refund will be made and the remaining travel passes will be reloaded.
- If the balance is less than the price of a day pass, all travel passes will remain activated.
Refunds will not be made on monthly travel passes or on discount rate travel passes with the exception of travel passes (3 and 12 months) with a 20% discount.
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3.1.9. Statutory employer contributions
The minimum statutory employer contribution to the Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years or Omnipas is 71.80% (rounded to 72%) of the travel pass price.
3.2. Tickets with a shorter validity period
.
3.2.1. Single tickets
A single ticket is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium, which is either a magnetic medium or a contactless EMV medium (cEMV). It is valid for a direct journey or a journey with one or more valid transfers.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with a single ticket. This journey is subject to a time limit of 60 minutes. Single tickets are valid on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.2. Return tickets
A return ticket is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium and is valid for two direct journeys/ journeys with one or more valid transfers.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with a return ticket. This journey is subject to a time limit of two times 60 minutes. Return tickets are valid on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.3. Group tickets
The group ticket is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium or a magnetic medium, intended for groups of 10 to 30 people who travel together for the entire journey. The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with a single ticket. This journey is subject to a time limit of 60 minutes. The price for a group ticket is determined on the basis of a fixed rate per person per journey. Group tickets are valid on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.4. Cycle tickets
A cycle ticket is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium or a magnetic medium. The cycle ticket is used for transporting a bicycle on the Coastal Tram. Passengers must load their bicycle on and off the vehicle themselves. The carriage of bicycles is not allowed on other De Lijn services. The passenger must also have a valid ticket for himself. Cycle tickets are sold at Lijnwinkel stores and at AVMs on the coast. The information provided here about sales channels is neither exhaustive nor legally enforceable.
The cycle ticket is valid on the Coastal Tram within the time limit and as long as the validity conditions are met. A maximum of two bicycles per vehicle are allowed. At busy times, the driver may decide not to allow bicycles on the vehicle.
3.2.5. sms-tickets
27 Sms-tickets are electronic tickets in the form of a text message, which can be purchased by the sending of a text by mobile phone by passengers entitled to use the text messaging services of a Belgian telecom operator.
To purchase a valid sms-ticket, the passenger must send a text to the abbreviated number 4884 with the message ‘DL’. The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with an sms-ticket. The operator fee must be added to the price of the sms-ticket. This journey is subject to a time limit of 60 minutes. Sms-tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.6. sms-daypass
Sms-daypasses are electronic tickets in the form of a text message, which can be purchased by the sending of a text by mobile phone by passengers entitled to use the text messaging services of a Belgian telecom operator.
To purchase a valid sms-daypass, the passenger must send a text to the abbreviated number 4884 with the message ‘DLD’. The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with an sms- daypass. The operator fee must be added to the price of the sms-daypass. This journey is subject to a time limit of 24 hours. Sms-daypasses are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.7. m-ticket
An m-ticket is an electronic ticket in the form of an in-app ticket, which may be purchased through De Lijn’s mobile app or that of an m-supplier.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with an m-ticket. The journey has a time limit of 60 minutes, which starts when the ticket is activated. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. M-tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.8. m-daypass
An m-daypass is an electronic ticket in the form of an in-app ticket, which may be purchased through De Lijn’s mobile app or that of an m-supplier.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with an m-daypass. The journey has a time limit of 24 hours, which starts when the daypass is activated. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. M-daypasses are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.9. m-card10
An m-card10 is an electronic ticket consisting of 10 in-app m-tickets. The m-card10 which may be purchased through De Lijn’s mobile app or that of an m-supplier.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with an m-card10. When a an m-card10 is purchased, 10 m-tickets are received. A journey with an m-ticket has a time limit of 60 minutes, which starts when the ticket is activated. Passengers may not finish their ride if the time limit has expired. M-tickets are valid on De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
28 The m-card is valid for 1 year after purchase. This means that the 10 individual m-tickets on the m-card must also be activated within that year.
The price of the m-card is determined according to the applicable price on the day of purchase of the journeys. Subsequent price changes do not affect it.
After purchasing the m-card, the passenger may validate the m-tickets; each m-ticket then entitles him/her to 60 minutes of travel time.
3.2.10. Lijnkaarts
The Lijnkaart is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium. It is valid for a direct journey or a journey with one or more valid transfers. A Lijnkaart is a card with a specific number of journeys on it, from which one journey is deducted each time.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with a Lijnkaart. This journey is subject to a time limit of 60 minutes. The Lijnkaart may be used for one person, or for several people travelling together. A Lijnkaart is valid on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
3.2.11. Day passes
The day pass or multi-day pass is a non-personal ticket in the form of an electronic medium.
The passenger pays a fixed price for a journey with a day pass or multi-day pass. A day pass or multi-day pass is valid on the day of validation until 03.59 on the day following the last day of validity stated on the day pass. A day pass or multi-day pass is valid during its period of validity without restriction on all of De Lijn’s scheduled transport services, with the exception of the Limburg express lines.
There are four types of day pass: - Day pass - Child day pass (valid for children aged 6 to 11 years) - 3-day pass - Child 3-day pass (valid for children aged 6 to 11 years)
3.3. Free cards
Free cards are documents issued in the holder’s name and entitling him/her to use the scheduled transport services of De Lijn free of charge. They are also valid on festival buses and extra services provided for certain events.
Free cards must be spontaneously scanned or shown to the driver when a De Lijn vehicle is boarded. The free card does not have to be shown to the driver on trams where passengers are also allowed to board at the middle or back door.
3.3.1. De Lijn Free Travel Card
The De Lijn Free Travel Card contains the surname, first name and personnel number of the person concerned. This card entitles the holder to free travel on De Lijn, MIVB-STIB and TEC services. MOBIB free travel cards must be registered whenever the holder transfers to another vehicle.
The De Lijn Free Travel Card is issued to:
29 - De Lijn personnel and pensioners, partners and dependent children living in the household of personnel members in active employment, and partners and dependent children living in the household of retired or deceased personnel members - personnel in active employment on subcontracted lines and their partners and dependent children living in the same household - personnel members in active employment and pensioners of TEC and MIVB-STIB - spouses and those in equated categories and dependent children of personnel members in active employment and retired employees of TEC and MIVB-STIB - De Lijn supervisory personnel in Antwerp
3.3.2. De Lijn free card
De Lijn may issue a free card with general or limited validity to certain persons. Under the ministerial order of 5 September 1997, De Lijn free cards are issued to city guards and neighbourhood supervisors in the Flemish urban areas and to security officers in the ten coastal municipalities.
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3.3.3. Free Accompanying Person’s Card
NMBS-SNCB issues the ‘Free Accompanying Person’s Card’ which is valid on NMBS-SNCB, De Lijn, TEC and MIVB-STIB services. The Free Accompanying Person’s Card entitles a disabled person to travel in the company of another person on a single ticket – that of the disabled person. The disabled person pays the price to which he/she is entitled, taking into account any discount cards and free cards. The plasticised main card contains the identity photo of the disabled person. It shows the person’s surname, first name, date of birth and address and the expiry date.
3.3.4. Transport for police officers
Members of the integrated police services may travel free of charge on all De Lijn service, with the exception of the Limburg express lines, on presentation of their service card. The police officers' duty card is ochre or blue in colour. The police officer’s position is stated in the three national languages on the back of the card. The service card carries a photo of the holder.
3.3.5. Free cards issued by the parliamentary quaestors’ office
On the basis of the general free card issued by the parliamentary quaestors’ office, the following persons may use De Lijn services free of charge. This free transport is a constitutional right. Parliamentarians may renounce this right on their own initiative, in which case they are subject to the normally applicable rates.
- members of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and of the Senate - members of the Regional and Community Councils of Belgium - government members, secretaries of state and government commissioners of Belgium - Belgian members of the European Parliament
3.3.6. People with a visual impairment
People with a visual impairment may travel free of charge on presentation of the National Public Transport Discount Card issued by the Federal Public Service Social Security.
3.4. Combined tickets and specific city fares
In consultation with the other public transport operators, tickets are issued that are valid over the entire network, over a limited area or on a specific De Lijn route, but which are also valid for use with other transport operators.
The applicable fares can be found in Addendum 1: De Lijn fares.
3.4.1. Specific city fares
Brussels: Brupass and Brupass XL Within the Brussels zone (regional zone 3220 and zone 20), Brupass and Brupass XL tickets are completely transferable between the four different public transport operators (De Lijn, MIVB- STIB, TEC and NMBS-SNCB). This means that any Brupass or Brupass XL ticket may be used by a passenger on any service of any of the four operators, regardless of which operator the ticket was purchased from. Brupass and Brupass XL tickets may only be purchased on a MOBIB or MOBIB basic card.
31 The different Brupass tickets are: • Brupass 1 journey • Brupass 1 day • Brupass 10 journeys
• Brupass 1 month • Brupass 12 months
The Brupass tickets are valid on: - All De Lijn and TEC buses in the Brussels zone (regional zone 3220) - All NMBS-SNCB trains in the Brussels urban zone (2nd class) (regional zone 3220) - The entire MIVB-STIB network (except in the Bourget-Brussels Airport zone on MIVB- STIB lines 12 and 21)
The different Brupass XL tickets are: • Brupass XL 1 journey • Brupass XL 10 journeys
• Brupass XL 1 month • Brupass XL 12 months
The Brupass XL tickets are valid on: - All De Lijn and TEC buses in the Brussels zone (zone 20) with the exception of the Zaventem Airport stop. - All NMBS-SNCB trains in the Brussels urban zone (2nd class) - The entire MIVB-STIB network with the exception of the Brussels Airport stop.
The time limit and transfer conditions are the same for Brupass and Brupass XL tickets as for a De Lijn ticket or pass on an electronic medium.
Brupass 1 month and Brupass XL 1 month are travel passes which are valid for 1 month. Brupass 12 months and Brupass XL 12 months are travel passes which are valid for 12 months.
All Brupass and Brupass XL tickets may be purchased through MIVB-STIB. A Brupass 1 month, Brupass 12 months, Brupass XL 1 month or Brupass XL 12 months may also be purchased through the following De Lijn sales channels: - over the counter in a Lijnwinkel store - in writing from the Travel Pass department - through e-commerce
The terms and conditions for the purchase, cancellation and renewal of a Brupass or Brupass XL travel pass with De Lijn follow the general terms and conditions for De Lijn travel passes, as described in points 3.1.4, 3.1.8 and 3.1.5.
For journeys in, from or to Brussels on which only De Lijn services are used, the passenger may also use De Lijn tickets at De Lijn rates.
3.4.2. NMBS-SNCB–De Lijn
NMBS-SNCB–De Lijn rail card Combined NMBS-SNCB–De Lijn travel passes are sold exclusively by NMBS-SNCB: both regular combined travel passes (NMBS-SNCB route travel pass plus De Lijn network travel pass) and the City Pass (NMBS-SNCB urban travel pass for Antwerp or Ghent plus De Lijn network travel pass).
32 There are three models in circulation.
- The model for an NMBS-SNCB rail card consists of a main card and a validation ticket. The main card bears the De Lijn logo or the words ‘DE LIJN NET’. - A MOBIB card with an accompanying strip that is valid for the De Lijn section. Both must be available for presentation for inspection. - A MOBIB card on which the De Lijn travel pass has been loaded.
However, all combined NMBS-SNCB–De Lijn travel passes are valid on the entire De Lijn network, even if a specific De Lijn route or urban zone is mentioned.
NMBS-SNCB + De Lijn tickets: B-Excursion, B-Event NMBS-SNCB + De Lijn tickets are combined tickets that may be issued by either NMBS-SNCB or De Lijn and are valid for a rail route as well as for connecting transport with a De Lijn service. These tickets may only be used to travel from the railway station to the event and back. Only if a De Lijn urban area is mentioned on the ticket may the ticket also be used in that area as a day pass. Such a day pass is valid exclusively in the specified urban area.
The B-Excursion and/or B-Event tickets are issued exclusively by NMBS-SNCB, whereas tickets for combined events may be issued by both De Lijn and NMBS-SNCB. They are only valid on the date indicated.
The journey may not be broken unless the combined ticket may be used as a day pass.
If a B-Excursion and/or B-Event ticket cannot be used for a valid reason, a refund of its cost is obtainable from NMBS-SNCB stations only.
Customised tickets may be issued in connection with B-Excursions.
Railease Railease is a product sold by NMBS-SNCB to businesses with a vehicle fleet. It consists of a main card and validation card consisting of 20 day passes. On payment of a supplement, these day passes may also be used on De Lijn buses and trams.
For the holder to have access to the De Lijn network, the NMBS-SNCB ticket must bear the De Lijn logo or the words DE LIJN NET.
3.4.3. Euregio ticket
The Euregio ticket is a day pass that entitles a passenger to travel for a day in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine area. During the weekend and on public holidays, this day pass is valid for a maximum of two adults and three children up to 11 years. The tickets are on sale at Lijnwinkel stores in Limburg and at other participating bus and rail operators.
3.4.4. Customised tickets
Specific customised tickets are issued for events. The price and rules on the use of these tickets are stated in a separate notice.
Customised tickets usually have a temporary, geographically limited, exploratory and/or promotional character. In certain cases, an entrance ticket for an event, issued by third parties, may serve as a customised ticket. Rules on the use of such tickets are stated in a separate notice. customised tickets are created in line with a systematic policy and must be based on the following objectives:
33
- the customised ticket must add value for the customer, the event organiser, De Lijn, etc. - existing tickets (tickets, cards and day passes) may not be used as the customised ticket - the rules for pricing the customised ticket must be established and applied
Customised tickets are divided into the following types:
- Event: a ticket whose validity period, route and price are set in consultation with the organiser.
- De Lijn event day pass: always valid across the entire network and applicable, for example, to Open Monuments Day or Flanders Day. - Trial pass: a free (or very cheap) day or multi-day pass valid for a limited time and geographical area; used for promoting new initiatives.
- TOV (taxi + public transport) ticket: combination of a De Lijn ticket for a single journey and a return journey by taxi.
- P&R: a ticket issued for combined parking + travel by public transport.
Requests must be submitted to the Marketing & Sales department at least 3 weeks before the first start date. The Marketing & Sales department must be involved from the start in the creation of a customised ticket so that advice can be given where necessary in the interest of all parties (customer, driver, De Lijn, technical possibilities Prodata, etc.).
34 4. THIRD-PARTY PAYER SCHEMES
Under a third-party payer scheme, a third party (someone other than the passenger) pays all or part of the cost of public transport.
Third-party payers can be divided into local authorities (municipality, city, province, region) and other third parties (employer, educational institution, non-profit organisation, public welfare centre, etc.).
A third-party payer may choose from one or more of the five schemes described below in accordance with the rules set out in an agreement. This agreement between the third-party payer and De Lijn must be concluded before a third-party payer scheme is implemented. The agreement is valid for one year and may be tacitly renewed for the same length of time. The agreement may be terminated annually. The agreement should preferably start on the first calendar day of the month.
By submitting its data, a party declares its consent to the processing and use of these data.
In the five third-party payer schemes described below, Scheme 1 is possible for all categories of third-party payers, while Schemes 2, 3, 4 and 5 may only be used by a local authority.
Scheme 1: percentage contribution to travel passes The third-party payer pays a percentage of the cost of the travel pass. Only whole percentages (no decimals) are possible. The minimum third-party payer contribution is 10%. When an employer is a third-party payer, the minimum contribution is equal to the statutory employer contribution (72%). The travel passes are issued to holders on the basis of an identity card indicating the place of residence (in the case of a local authority) or on the basis of a certificate issued by the third- party payer (in the case of another third-party payer). A ‘split place of residence’ document does not entitle its holder to a third-party payer discount.
Within this scheme, a passenger may be eligible for contributions from two third-party payers. In this case, the following order of priority is applied between the various third-party payers:
1. application of household discounts for Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years 2. contribution by another third-party payer (employer, etc.) cannot be combined with household discounts 3. contribution by a local authority third-party payer on the balance 4. contribution by an educational institution
The cost for the third-party payer is equal to ∑ (price of travel pass x percentage contribution to travel pass). Invoicing is monthly.
Scheme 2: contribution to Lijnkaarts At the third-party payer’s request, De Lijn issues cards for ten journeys at a fixed fare, which are valid for a defined journey (with the possibility of transferring within the time limit and exclusively within the destination area – no extension of the route is possible). The type of municipal card determined by De Lijn may be distributed through external advance sales points. Municipal cards with other prices may be offered through municipal sales channels.
The passenger pays a reduced fare. The third-party payer is invoiced monthly on the basis of the number of ticket validations.
Scheme 3: contribution to tickets Passengers may make a specific journey at a fixed fare.
35 Passengers may purchase a reduced or free single or return third-party payer ticket by text message, from the De Lijn website or on an electronic card. This ticket has the possibility of transferring within the time limit and exclusively within the destination area – no extension of the route is possible.
The third-party payer is invoiced monthly on the basis of the number of tickets sold.
Scheme 4: free network travel pass for certain age groups De Lijn issues free network travel passes to all residents in the age categories determined by the third-party payer. Only the age categories specified by De Lijn may be chosen. The travel passes are delivered in bulk to the third-party payer on the files supplied by the third-party payer according to a strict schedule. This third-party payer scheme only applies to local authorities.
The price is calculated by multiplying the total number of inhabitants of the municipality on 1 January of the year preceding the application of the scheme by the unit prices determined for each age category. If the third-party payer, contrary to normal practice, wishes De Lijn to be responsible for distributing the travel passes issued, the cost of this will be borne by the third- party payer.
Travel passes are issued on a Mobib card.
Scheme 5: New residents De Lijn delivers information packages on request to the third-party payer/municipality, including a Lijnkaart at the rate applicable at that time. De Lijn and the third-party payer each pay half the cost of these Lijnkaarts. The third-party payer gives away the information package and Lijnkaarts to every new resident or new household free of charge.
The total cost for the third-party payer is calculated as follows: (number of Lijnkaarts x Lijnkaart price) / 2
After delivery of the information packages and Lijnkaarts, the third-party payer receives an invoice.
5. TICKET INSPECTIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND FEES
5.1. Inspection procedure
5.1.1. Inspection personnel are in charge of supervising compliance with the De Lijn General Terms and Conditions of Travel and carry an identification document signed by the director general.
5.1.2. Inspection personnel are authorised to check and, if necessary, confiscate tickets or discount cards and to impose administrative fines or supervisory and administrative fees. Any expired, falsified, fraudulently used or illegible tickets will be confiscated.
5.1.3. If the inspection personnel suspect or discover a breach of the rules, they may ask the person concerned for proof of identity.
5.1.4. When a breach of the rules is detected, the inspection personnel will immediately inform the person concerned of the intention to impose an administrative fine or a supervisory or administrative fee. The inspection personnel will inform the Administrative Fines department of any violation they have identified.
5.1.5. Any passenger who is unable to present a valid ticket during an inspection or who has not validly scanned with a contactless payment medium will receive from the inspection personnel a document setting out the procedure and indicating the time
36 and date on which the violation was discovered. This document serves as a ticket for the journey made by the passenger on the vehicle on which the inspection was carried out. If the passenger then transfers to another De Lijn vehicle, he/she will be treated as a new passenger. The driver is therefore not allowed to permit transfers on the basis of a fine document.
5.1.6. If the offender so wishes, the inspection personnel may collect the administrative fine immediately.
5.1.7. The offender may submit his/her observations to the Administrative Fines department within 30 days of discovery of the violation.
5.1.8. The Administrative Fines department will confirm whether or not an administrative fine has been imposed by registered post within 60 days of discovery of the violation.
5.1.9. The administrative fine must be paid within 30 days of notification by the Administrative Fines department.
5.1.10. If the offender fails to pay within the specified time, an enforceable court order will be obtained by the De Lijn Financial Administration manager or his/her representative, and the case will be passed over to the judicial officer without further notice.
5.1.11. Within 30 days of notification by the Administrative Fines department, the offender may send a substantiated request for the reduction or cancellation of the administrative fine to the De Lijn Financial Administration manager by registered letter. The De Lijn Financial Administration manager will decide on this request. An offender who so wishes may be given a hearing and assisted by a legal counsel.
5.1.12. During the investigation of the request, the obligation to pay the administrative fine will be suspended.
5.1.13. The decision on the request for the reduction or cancellation of the administrative fine will be taken within 3 months of the request being submitted. This may be extended by a single 3-month period provided detailed justification is provided for doing so. If no decision is taken within this period, the request will be granted.
5.1.14. The final decision on the request for the reduction or cancellation of the administrative fine will be explained to the offender by registered letter.
5.1.15. A new period of 30 days for the payment of the administrative fine begins from the notification of the final decision by the De Lijn Financial Administration manager in connection with the request. If the offender fails to pay this administrative fine within 30 days, an enforceable court order will be obtained by the De Lijn Financial Administration manager or his/her representative, and the case will be passed over to the judicial officer without further notice.
5.2. Administrative fines
In the event of a breach of the obligations of the public and passengers (Chapters 1 & 2), De Lijn is authorised to impose an administrative fine.
This administrative fine is:
- € 107.00 for a violation of Chapter 1.1.1, 1.2.2., 1.2.3 or 1.2.6 - € 250.00 for a violation of Chapter 1.1.2 or 1.2.7
If, within a period of 12 months from notification of a first violation as referred to in paragraph 1, one or more similar violations are committed by the offender, the administrative fine will be:
37
- for a violation of Chapter 1.1.1, 1.2.2., 1.2.3 or 1.2.6: a) for a second violation: [€294.00] b) for a third and any subsequent violation: [€ 400.00] - for a violation of Chapter 1.1.2 or 1.2.7: a) for a second violation: [€ 400.00] b) for a third and any subsequent violation: [€ 500.00] Passengers who are unable to present a valid travel pass or have not registered their MOBIB card with a valid travel pass on it will always be given a violation report. The first time this happens within a 12-month period, no administrative fine will be imposed. If, within a period of 12 months from notification of a first violation as referred to in the previous paragraph, one or more similar violations are committed by the offender, the administrative fine will be: a) for a second violation: [€ 20.00] b) for a third and any subsequent violation: [€ 50.00]
6. DIAL-A-BUS
If you wish to use the dial-a-bus service, you must reserve a journey through the dial-a-bus switchboard. If you no longer need the dial-a-bus or are unable to reach the stop on time, we ask that you notify the dial-a-bus switchboard promptly. This will prevent the dial-a-bus from visiting a stop unnecessarily, saving us unnecessary expense and limiting the travel time for other passengers. In addition, a seat will become available in the event of a cancellation, so that another passenger can travel instead.
The first time you reserve the dial-a-bus, you will receive a letter explaining the reservation procedure and the dial-a-bus regulations.
Passengers who within a given 12-month period fail to present themselves for the bus without having cancelled will first receive a warning. On subsequent occasions they will be suspended and fined as follows:
• first time: the passenger will receive a letter explaining the reservation procedure and the consequences if the arrangements are not kept to. • second time: the passenger will be suspended for 1 month1. During this period the dial- a-bus service may not be used. • third and subsequent times: the passenger will receive a further 1-month suspension and an administrative fine. The amount of the fine will increase if the violation is repeated within 12 months.
A suspended passenger who is caught making a reservation in someone else's name will be given an administrative fine.
7. LOST PROPERTY
Any personnel member of De Lijn or another operator who finds objects or sums of money that have been lost or left in a vehicle, shelter, station or appurtenance of De Lijn or another
1 Flemish Government Order of 14 May 2004 of the Flemish Government concerning the operation and rates of the VVM, as amended by the Order of 26 January 2007, Belgian Official Gazette 1 March 2007, Art 36. 38 operator must hand them over as soon as possible at the depot or at the operator’s place of business.
Any driver who finds an item of lost property in a vehicle must fill out a General Information Card and attach this card to the item. This card contains all the identification data necessary for subsequently tracing the object and its finder.
Any passenger who has lost an item of property in a vehicle, shelter, station or appurtenance of De Lijn or another operator may contact De Lijn about this through De Lijn Info. If this is done immediately after the loss of an object of value, an attempt will be made to locate the lost item as quickly as possible. In other cases, the passenger will be referred to the relevant collection point for lost property.
If the identity and address of the owner of an item of lost property is known, he/she will be informed by letter or the item will be sent to him/her (travel pass, free card, etc.). In other cases, the item of lost property will be kept at the depot or at the operator’s place of business for 14 days. Items which are likely to deteriorate rapidly will not be kept, however. After 14 days, items of lost property that have not been collected will be sent to a storage space where they will be kept for at least another 2 months.
Owners of an item of lost property may only collect it after they have provided an accurate description of the object and the circumstances in which it was lost. They must disclose their identity.
8. PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA
In the context of its service provision, De Lijn collects and processes personal data from its customers in accordance with the applicable legislation regarding the processing of personal data. De Lijn obtains the personal data either directly from the data subject or through a third party.
The personal data are processed for a purpose in accordance with Article 6.1 of the General Data Protection Regulation to enable De Lijn to achieve the following objectives: 1. to monitor compliance by customers with their legal obligations and obligations arising from the General Terms and Conditions of Travel and, if necessary, to issue and process administrative fines 2. to verify whether customers satisfy the conditions for using a particular ticket; 3. to fulfil its legal obligations; 4. for customer management and administration purposes; 5. to fulfil its contractual obligations towards the customer on the basis of these General Terms and Conditions of Travel or any other contractual relationship with the customer; 6. to enforce its rights conferred by law or an agreement; 7. for the conduct of market research and analysis; for reporting and statistical analysis, in order to comply with our legal reporting obligation and to optimise our service provision (including more efficient use of vehicles; responding to changing traffic flows, target group policy, etc.); 8. to communicate with customers in the context of De Lijn's service provision to customers, transport needs, campaigns, customer retention, direct marketing, etc.; 9. when a customer visits De Lijn’s website or uses its app, cookies may be installed. These cookies may contain personal data. 10. provided the customer has given consent thereto, to send commercial communication to the customer.
Failure to provide the necessary personal data may, among other things, lead to De Lijn being unable to fulfil its legal and/or contractual obligations towards the customer, including delivery of the ticket requested by the customer.
39 Notwithstanding the foregoing, customers are advised that their personal data will be passed on by De Lijn to third parties when this is necessary for the above-mentioned purposes. In particular, customers’ attention is drawn to the fact that personal data will be transferred to De Lijn’s contractual partners with a view to the issuing of sms-tickets, m-tickets, tickets issued on the basis of a third-party payer scheme or any other ticket that is created and/or issued with the involvement of one of De Lijn’s contractual partners. Personal data may also be passed on to third parties that create and send out travel passes on De Lijn’s behalf.
De Lijn uses an external contact centre to handle complaints or questions by telephone. Personal data necessary for answering these calls may be passed on to this contact centre.
In some cases an external agency is used to conduct market research, and contact details may be passed on to this external party.
In the case of travel passes or tickets issued in combination with other public transport operators (including but not limited to NMBS-SNCB, TEC, MIVB-STIB), De Lijn will communicate the necessary personal data to the relevant operator. The data that may be communicated when entering into such contracts are: customer number, MOBIB card number, surname, first name, date of birth, address, gender, language, type and validity of the purchased transport agreement.
In addition, personal data may be passed on to De Lijn by these same contractual partners or public transport operators when this is necessary in light of the above-mentioned objectives. The personal data obtained in this way will only be passed on to other contractual partners of De Lijn if this is necessary for the creation and/or issue of the ticket.
De Lijn will in all cases conclude the necessary agreements with any third parties whose services it uses and that process personal data on behalf of De Lijn.
Personal data will also be passed on to the Public Prosecution Service, investigating magistrates and/or police services if this is necessary for the detection, investigation or prosecution of crimes.
De Lijn has, pursuant to the Deliberation RR 04/2006 of 1 March 2006 of the Sectoral Committee for the National Register, permission to process the subscriber’s national registration number, as well as, pursuant to Deliberation 07/018 of 24 April 2007 of the Sectoral Social Security Committee, permission to access the Crossroads Bank for Social Security, with a view to checking the identity of the subscriber and/or the customer, his/her household composition and the fulfilment of the conditions for entitlement to certain tickets. No use is made of automated decision-making.
Personal data will be kept for no longer than is necessary for the achievement of the above- mentioned purposes, or for as long as required by law. Information about the specific retention periods may be found at any time on De Lijn’s website. Customers have the right at all times to view their personal data, obtain a copy of them or have them corrected, supplemented or removed/deleted. Customers may also ask for processing to be restricted or, for compelling and legitimate reasons, may object to the processing of their personal data if the legal criteria for this are met.
Customers have the right, free of charge, to oppose any processing of their personal data for direct marketing purposes.
Moreover, they have the right to obtain a copy (in a structured, commonly used and machine- readable form) of their personal data and to have them transferred to another company (right to data portability).
In cases where the processing of personal data takes place after obtaining the customer’s consent, the customer may at any time withdraw their consent to the processing of personal data.
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In order to exercise the rights described above, the customer may submit a request as follows: - online customer feedback (https://www.delijn.be/nl/contact/klantendienst/index.html); - by telephone on 070 220 200 (30 cents per minute); - or by sending a registered letter to De Lijn’s DPO at the following postal address:
VVM De Lijn Tav DPO Motstraat 20 2800 Mechelen
You also have the right to submit a complaint regarding the processing of your personal data to the Commission for the Protection of Privacy, Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels.
41 Lexicon
The definitions listed below are applicable in these ‘De Lijn general terms and conditions of travel’:
- travel pass holder / holder: a passenger who uses a travel pass for his/her trip with De Lijn
- AVM: De Lijn ticket machine, from which passengers can purchase a De Lijn ticket themselves.
- General Data Protection Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC.
- dial-a-bus bus for demand-based, regular transport, which only operates after prior booking by a passenger, and only serves the stops for which a request has been made in advance
- special form of scheduled transport: scheduled transport for certain categories of passenger to the exclusion of other passengers, with defined regularity and on a particular route; passengers are allowed to get on or off at predetermined stopping points. Special forms of scheduled transport include transport for workers to and from work, or transport for pupils and students to and from their educational establishment
- Buzzy Pazz: travel pass for young people aged 6 to 24 years; a distinction is made between a Buzzy Pazz 6-11 years and a Buzzy Pazz 12-24 years
- cEMV: contactless medium (e.g. debit or credit card) that a ticket or travel pass can be placed on. The card can also be emulated on a phone, e.g. Apple/Google Pay. cEMV stands for contactless Europay, Mastercard and Visa.
- driver: driver of a De Lijn tram or bus
- ticket inspectors: personnel appointed by the minister and tasked with supervising compliance with the De Lijn general terms and conditions of travel. Ticket inspectors have an identification document signed by the director general of the Vlaamse Vervoermaatschappij
- off peak: Monday to Friday, with the exception of public holidays, between 9 am and 4 pm and between 7 pm and 6 am.
- De Lijn: commercial name of the Vlaamse Vervoermaatschappij (VVM)
- timetable: table per line with departure and arrival times at the main stops of De Lijn vehicles, used for scheduled transport
- event: a local, public event, either one-off or cyclical in nature, for which special tickets with adapted fares and a special service may be provided
- external advance sales: sale of, among other things, cards or day passes by third parties, such as newsagents, local shops, supermarkets or railway stations
- FPS: Federal Public Service
- area: part or all of the De Lijn transport area where a certain rate and timetable apply
- validity period: the duration expressed in hours, days or months for which a ticket or travel pass is valid
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- scheduled transport: urban or regional transport with defined regularity and on a particular route; passengers are allowed to get on or off at predetermined stopping points. This transport is universally accessible.
- household: all persons who officially live at the same address. Relatives who do not officially live at the same address are not regarded as household members. The composition of a household can be demonstrated with a household composition certificate issued by the population service of the municipality or with an extract from https://mijndossier.rrn.fgov.be/; such certificates must be no more than 3 months old. When an online order is placed, the discount is automatically calculated based on the data from the national register.
- group ticket ticket for groups of 10 people or more travelling together during the entire trip
- stop: stopping point for scheduled transport, indicated by a stop sign, where passengers are allowed to get on or off
- main scanner: validation device set up near and operated by the driver
- scheduled transport line: a combination of stops served by scheduled transport, indicated by a unique line number
- Lijnwinkel store: De Lijn advance sales point
- month: 1 month for the purposes of travel passes (duplicates, refunds, etc.): a period of 28, 29, 30 or 31 consecutive calendar days, counting from a certain day of a month (= travel pass start date) until the day preceding the same day (as the start date) on the following month
- magnetic card: a card the size of a bank card (approximately 86 mm x 54 mm), fitted with a magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe can be read and written by De Lijn's validation equipment.
- magnetic travel pass: travel pass in the form of a magnetic ticket
- magnetic ticket: ticket in the form of a magnetic card which can be validated
- m-day pass: electronic ticket that can be purchased via De Lijn's m-app
- military personnel: Belgian military personnel of the Belgian armed forces only
- MIVB-STIB: Maatschappij voor het Intercommunaal Vervoer Brussel (Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company). Company that operates urban transport in the Brussels-Capital Region. STIB is the abbreviation of the French name: Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles
- m-supplier: digital service provider that issues digital tickets.
- m-Lijnkaart: electronic Lijnkaart that entitles you to 10 electronic in-app tickets, which can be purchased on a smartphone via an m-supplier’s mobile app an and/or the De Lijn app.
- m-ticketing: electronic in-app tickets, which can be purchased on a smartphone via an m-supplier’s mobile app an and/or the De Lijn app.
- new passenger: A passenger who either is starting his/her journey or is not eligible for a valid transfer
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- NMBS-SNCB: National Railway Company of Belgium
- Omnipas 25-64 years: travel pass for people from 25 to 64 years
- Omnipas 65+: travel pass for people who have reached the age of 65
- Scanning: using up or reducing the value of a ticket in order to pay the fare, registering a valid transport right, or, in the case of an cEmv, granting consent to your account being debited for your journey. Scanning takes place on the devices installed on De Lijn vehicles for the purpose
- validation equipment: equipment on vehicles for writing, reading, validating and registering tickets
- transferring: the use by the passenger of two or more vehicles within a certain time to reach his/her destination
- post paid: payment method in which the customer is invoiced at regular intervals for services provided
- prepaid: payment method in which a customer pays for services provided using the call credit on his/her SIM card
- privacy law: the Law of 8 December 1992 on the protection of privacy with regard to the processing of personal data, superseded as from 25 March 2018 by the General Data Protection Regulation
- psychotropic substance: substance that causes changes to the user’s psychological state or mental functions
- registration: the reading and writing of a ticket by the validation devices without any financial impact for the passenger
- passenger: any person who uses the services of De Lijn, or who is at a stop or in a shelter or public space of De Lijn
- transferring passenger: ticket or card passenger who changes vehicles before the time limit expires in order to continue his/her journey or to return in the direction from which he/she came
- fare: for ticket and card passengers, the price charged for a journey with De Lijn. In the case of a journey where the passenger has to transfer one or more times, the fare is the price for the complete journey
- peak hours: Monday to Friday, with the exception of public holidays, between 6 am and 9 am and between 4 pm and 7 pm
- SIM card: a prepaid and pre-activated card with a microprocessor that must be inserted into a mobile communication device and that gives access to the services of the telecom operator
- Smartticket: contactless ticket in which the type and/or number of journeys is recorded in advance on the smartticket chip. These tickets are created by the producer, centrally by De Lijn, by an AVM or at a Lijnwinkel store.
- sms-daypass: electronic ticket in the form of an sms (text message) that can be purchased from certain operators
44 - sms-ticket : electronic ticket in the form of an sms (text message) that can be purchased from certain operators
- urban line: scheduled service line mainly serving an urban area
- urban area: the urban areas in Flanders are Aalst, Antwerp, Bruges, Genk, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Leuven, Mechelen, Ostend, Roeselare, Sint-Niklaas and Turnhout
- TEC: Transport en Commun. Commercial name of SRWT (Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport), company that operates urban and regional transport in the Walloon Region
- telecom operator: a telecom operator that participates in sms-ticketing, as indicated by De Lijn and through whose sms services passengers can order sms tickets
- terminal:
- time limit: the time until when a ticket is valid
- time-based tariff: principle by which the validation or registration of a ticket or card entitles the holder to travel and transfer freely until the time limit
- VDAB: Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service
- ticket machine: device from which the passenger can purchase his/her own ticket. De Lijn has installed vending machines near a number of busy public transport points in Antwerp, Ghent, Ostend, Bruges, Sint-Niklaas, Mechelen, Blankenberge and other locations
- discount card: any document entitling the holder to purchase or use reduced-fare tickets
- ticket: any document entitling the holder to use the scheduled transport services of De Lijn
- transport region: a cluster of municipalities that form a coherent whole for mobility with a transport core and an area of influence
- Transport Guarantee (VG) status: People with an integration income, income guarantee or guaranteed income, asylum-seekers and young people receiving support from a Special Youth Welfare facility. Someone with this status is eligible for an annual travel pass at a reduced rate
- Preferential Reimbursement (VT) status: status recognised by the health insurance fund that entitles the holder to increased health care reimbursements. Someone with this status is also eligible for a travel pass at a reduced rate
- De Lijn vehicle: any publicly accessible vehicle used for the scheduled transport operated by De Lijn
- advanced sale: any ticket sale where the passenger makes the purchase before boarding a De Lijn vehicle
- demand-based scheduled transport: scheduled transport within a certain service area, where the theoretically defined transport services are only actually provided after prior booking by passengers. Such transport is usually provided by a dial-a-bus
- free card: any document entitling the holder to use the scheduled transport services of De Lijn free of charge A free card may be issued by a public transport operator or another body
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- Card for preferential reimbursement: Card for widows or widowers, disabled persons, pensioners and orphans. The card for preferential reimbursement is issued by the NMBS-SNCB, on the basis of a certificate issued by the health insurance fund, to those entitled to an increased contribution to their healthcare costs. This card has been replaced by the ‘preferential reimbursement card’. With it, the holder can obtain a travel pass at a concessionary rate
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