The pass will be valid from July 1 until December 31 and was agreed by the Superkern, which consists of government ministers and representatives of the 10 parties which support the government, on June 6.
However, Dutordoir revealed in a post on Twitter the following day that SNCB was not consulted on the plans, which she says raise serious concerns over the health and safety of passengers.
“It is a good thing that the Belgian government wants to promote the use of public transport again among the population,” Dutordoir wrote. “However, the way in which a decision was taken yesterday without any consultation raises serious questions. SNCB is therefore requesting immediate consultation and all necessary assistance to avoid any risk of overcrowding of trains and platforms.”
Around 9.66 million people are eligible for the pass. A notice on SNCB’s website says the concrete details of the tourist pass have yet to be confirmed with the government and more information will be communicated on the site as soon as possible. Dutordoir said in her post that SNCB requests immediate clarification of the plan's logistics and financial aspects.
“The free distribution of tourist train passes to all Belgian residents raises the question of the sanitary safety of passengers and staff,” Dutordoir posted. “The SNCB will under no circumstances jeopardise the safety on which it has worked particularly hard in recent months.”
Responding to the criticism in an interview with VTM News, Mr Koen Geens, the federal justice minister, said that Dutordoir should have been consulted. However, he defended the policy, which he says was taken with good intent.
“The intention was to get domestic tourism back on track because the trains are severely underutilised,” Geens says. “I hope that all goes well, and that we can help to guarantee safety.”
