The WEL bus project will start with six lines but if success is met this could be extended to 40 lines all over Wallonia by autumn /Belga

On April 29th, TEC will launch a new comfort bus line project dedicated to home-to-work travels. The Wallonia Easy Line (WEL) will feature comfortable buses equipped with wifi driving on six lines at the beginning. In autumn, the offer could be extended to 40 lines. Every trip will have to be booked in advance on a dedicated app for a maximum price of five euro. The Walloon Region has allocated the project a 6 million euro subsidy.

With a nearly insignificant 4% modal share, public transport has a long way to go if it wants to reach the 10% modal share set for 2030. One way would be to make the bus more attractive to commuters who, as of today, prefer the comfort of their cars even when stuck in traffic. To deal with that issue, the Walloon Public Transport Company (TEC) is launching the ‘Wallonia Easy Line’ (WEL).

Quick

“These bus lines only stop once or twice on the way, which renders them faster and more direct”, explains Walloon Mobility Minister, Carlo Di Antonio (cdH). In the beginning, the WEL will only count six lines (Athis-Mons, Bastogne-Arlon, Chimay-Charleroi, Liege-Marche, Nivelles-Namur, Braine l’Alleud-Waterloo-Wavre). If it is met with success, the WEL could extend to forty bus lines by autumn.

“Studies have helped us decide the stops with the highest demand”, continues the Minister, “we’ve also worked on the timetable to adapt it to the commuting hours.” Thus, WEL buses will only drive in the morning and in the evening on weekdays.

Comfortable

The Conforto bus experience has shown the TEC that the transition from cars to public transport isn’t as easy as expected. “We’ve got to put everything in our favour for the motorist to jump on-board and enjoy the experience”, declares TEC spokesperson, Stéphane Thiry.

In addition to the quick connection times, WEL buses will be equipped with free wifi and USB charging ports. “The idea is to allow the commuter to start the workday on the bus”, adds Mr Thiry. Despite being a public means of transport, the WEL bus tickets will have to be booked in advance on a dedicated app. Prices will be set at a maximum of five euro per ticket, 70 euro per month or 540 euro per year.

WEL, la ligne express et directe du TEC

Les lignes “W.E.L.”, alternative des TEC à la voiture pour se rendre au travail

Les TEC ciblent les travailleurs connectés

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