On the night of Friday to Saturday, during the last pre-metro run, a driver mistakenly entered the pre-metro tunnel instead of the one leading to the Liège motorway. The driver’s journey ended at Diamant station. While it is common for drivers to make such errors, most usually realize their mistake and turn back without causing any significant damage. However, some drivers persist, such as a 4×4 driver who entered the tunnel above Albert station and drove all the way to Midi station, resulting in a bill of €22,000. STIB, the public transport company, charges drivers for the delays caused to trams (€1,000 per hour per tram line), damage caused to installations, and the cost of extricating the vehicle. While STIB claims to take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents, they won’t close the tunnel entrances with grids as trams must always pass. (Pictures available on their Facebook page)
The incident took place on the night of Friday to last Saturday, at the time of the last (pre)metro. A motorist was driving Place Meiser. Probably unaccustomed to the intricacies of traffic in the capital or her eyes too riveted on her GPS (or both), she thought she was entering the back alley leading to the tunnel marking the start of the Liège motorway. Unfortunately, she erred a few meters and found herself engaged in another tunnel. That of the premetro. His race ended a hundred meters further, at the Diamant station.
If it happens regularly that motorists make a mistake, most quickly realize their mistake and turn around or reverse without any damage other than a small (or big) fright. But, sometimes, drivers persist on this wrong path. Including a champion (if one can say so): driving a 4X4, he entered through the hopper above the Albert station and drove quietly to the Midi station. Four stations, one bill: 22,000 euros!
It must be said that the STIB accountants miss nothing when they calculate the damage suffered by the company. They begin by billing the delays suffered by the trams, counting 1,000 euros per hour of delay per tram line. So, if you block a section through which three lines pass, it immediately amounts to 3,000 euros per hour. If the delay drags on and shuttle buses have to be brought in to replace the trams, the cost will also be charged to the unfortunate driver. Ditto for the damage that his vehicle caused to the installations (rails, ballast, even metro station facilities). Finally, to extricate a car or van from its unfortunate position, STIB will have to call on a Unimog, a tow truck adapted to switch from road to rail. Here too, the costs will be charged to the driver. Not to mention the fact that his car may no longer drive as well as before: rims and radiator generally do not come out unscathed from this underground expedition.
In the case of the motorist on Friday, the costs should be lower: as his accident happened at the end of the service, few trams were delayed and it was not necessary to call on the shuttles. The STIB, for its part, claims to take all the necessary precautions. A car lock (an impassable hole for sedans, but over which 4X4s and vans pass without too much difficulty) is supposed to prevent untimely incursions. “But no wayexplains the spokesperson for the public transport operator, Françoise Ledune, to close the entrances to the tunnels with grids: the trams must always pass.”
In conclusion, driving in Brussels can be tricky, especially if you are not familiar with the city’s traffic patterns or overly reliant upon your GPS. As we have seen, even experienced drivers can make the mistake of entering the wrong tunnel, which can result in hefty fines and damage to both the driver’s vehicle and STIB equipment. While the STIB takes necessary precautions to prevent these incidents, accidents can still occur. So, it’s always best to stay alert, follow traffic rules, and be mindful of your surroundings when driving in Brussels.