MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (Irish)

Today I received this from a friend who works in Dublin. 

Ireland is suffering much from this Global Crisis. Some experts forecast (minus) -4% Growth for this year. The issue is that it is a country that is not used to this kind of situation, and a whole generation has known anything but growth and wealth. 

Anyway, this video is dedicated to the Irish Ministry of Transport. But I hope other Minitries learn form it. 

I am seriourly thinking of creating a "home-made" documentary about registration of foreigners in the Schaerbeek Commune, but I need more time for it. 

Enjoy the music!

METRO AT PEAK TIME

As I said before, I feel so happy that I do not need to take the metro in Brussels to go to work everyday.

Once upon I time....I decided to take it! like today.

8:45am
This is the picture of the Metro in MONTGOMERY, and I was going towards the centre:
(click on the image to make it bigger)

As you can see above, there were 9 minutes difference between the previous and next metro.

YES 9 MINUTES!!!!!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT 9 MINUTES WAITING FOR THE METRO IN PEAK TIME, IN THE CAPITAL OF EUROPE!!!


I tried to make a picture of people inside the metro, but I couldn't move, and I almost couldn't breath. I was lucky enough to find a spot and get in. Not everyone could!!!!

In these conditions, how can authorities dare to encourage people to use public transport to go to work!!!!!!

I think that if I had to travel in the metro every day in those conditions I would never pay my tiket.

Below is the picture when I got off, the line in the other sense (outwards from the centre). It looked a bit better with maximum 4 minutes delay between metros.

CHARLEROI AIRPORT - Aéroport de Charleroi Bruxelles - Sud !

Welcome to Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

That is what you read when you arrive for the first time in this small airport located 60km far away from Brussels. This distance can be a small one if we think of big capitals (London, Paris, etc). But in Belgium 60km is a big deal. Actually, if you drive double that distance, you will probably have crossed the whole country.

Being Brussels the Capital of the European Union, you would expect it to have superb connections to its airports. Well, let's be clear. Connections with public transport to the ZAVENTEM Airport are OK; however, connections to Charleroi Airport could not be worse. Only one bus every 45 MINUTES!!!!!.

Despite of the outrageous trip fare (13 euro), the buses sometimes are so full of people that you have to wait the next one, or take a taxi to Charleroi Airport (150 euro approx.) since you have no other choice to get there.

Last month, a friend booked a flight to arrive in Charleroi. His flight was scheduled early in the morning (something like 6:30 am). When the plane arrived to the sky of Belgium, everything looked grey. Yes, grey because of the intense fog that covered the country those days.

The thing is that The Brussels South Airport is not equipped with special anti-fog RADAR systems. In other words. When the weather is foggy, bye bye Charleroi Airport. It is in fact unusable under those weather conditions.

The plane of my friend remained in the sky of Charleroi turning around during almost two hours, waiting for the sky to clear up. Since they were running out of fuel, they were forced to land in the Liege Airport (I call it aerodrome). After that, a Bus took one hour and a half to go there and pick everybody up and bring them to ....Charleroi!!!!!!

I think my friend lost one whole day....he woke up 4:30am to arrive in Brussels at 5:30pm. That was indeed a long day for him.

Belgacom Regime

If you thought BELGACOM is the telecom leader in Belgium, you were wrong. They are indeed the "largest", but definitely not the leaders. Leaders lead by giving example to others. They are in fact, the "largest dictators" of telecommunications in Belgium.


According to INTERNET WORLD STATS "The incumbent, Belgacom, is gradually losing market share in the telephone market as cable TV companies and other providers offer VoIP and mobile services to their traditional pay TV and broadband packages."

The fact that they are loosing marketshare is a very positive sign in a small concentrated market dominated by one big operator. But still, there is a long way to go.

Recently a new italian company opened offices in my building, in the heart of the European quartier. The first thing they did, after buying an office in the second flood, they called to BELGACOM (big mistake) and requested a telephone and ADSL internet connection (DAY 1).

On day 30, they knock on the door of my office begging to let them access to our WIRELESS networks so they could have access to the outter world until BELGACOM graced connection to the new established company. I agreed instantly, and without charging any cost to our new neighbours, knowing exactly what was going on with Belgacom.

On day 60, finally, the technician of Belgacom came to connect and activate the phone and internet connection to this new company. Yet, another practice against the competence appeared, the guy from Belgacom did not wanted to activate the phone lines (and therefore the ADSL) because this new company wanted to use an own telephone switchboard that they bought in Italy. The guy from Belgacom said something like....if you do not rent a switchboard from belgacom, I cannot activate the internet. And the guy left, leaving the company, with three employees, without connection to anything.

Let's summarize, they waited 60 days for nothing. A COMPANY OF THREE EMPLOYEES 60 DAYS WITHOUT PHONE AND WITHOUT INTERNET !!!!! IN THE XXI CENTURY!!! IN THE CAPITAL OF EUROPE!!!!!

DAY 65. Finally the new company agreed to rent the belgacom swithboard (with the extra cost this means for the company) because basically they had no options:
-The competence would need 60 days more to install connection
-They lost so much TIME, ENERGY AND MONEY already.

It was not worth it.


This is the game of BELGACOM for proffessional customers.

In the case of my office, we have had the same ADSL connection for more than 4 years. During that time, BELGACOM has never reduced the price, increased the speed of connections, or improved the quality of service. Trying to change operator would mean taking the risk of not having internet for many days. We cannot afford this, so we follow our leader, BELGACOM.

PLAN IRIS 2

IRIS 2 is the new Regional Plan for Mobility



It is an strategic plan for mobility, it covers the period 2015-2020. Its objective is to make Brussels city more accessible, improving quality of life, reducing traffic jams (at least 20%) and reduce CO2 emissions. This is a very nice and idealistic approach.

They made a public survey to get feedback from people living in Brussels and its sorroundings. This is a very good thing.

I read some parts of the document, which can be downloaded from the website, and the plan is really something that results difficult to believe when I look at the streets of Brussels now, or whent I take the public transport.

To the people resposible of IRIS2, I wish you all the best and very good luck in your travel to Neverland.

MY PROFILE IN FACEBOOK

I Have created my profile in FACEBOOK.

I have also created the facebook group SERVICE IN BRUSSELS

TAXI IN BRUSSELS

Taking a taxi in Brussels can be an adventure sometimes.
I have to say firstly that most of the times I use taxis in Brussels I have had no problems, but I want tou provide some advice as well as some interesting information about taxis that you should be aware.

The first difference between taxis in brussels and anywhere else is that you normally have to take them in the TAXI STOPS around the city, or call them through a phone call so they go to pick you up.
In other words, it is very unlikely that a taxidriver will stop in front of you in the middle of the street if you need him. Sometimes I see people waiting for a taxi in the street for several minutes without success, and no taxis are passing though or all of them are already busy.

Having in mind the above specificity of taxis in Brussels, what you need to know is the following:

The rates applicable in the Brussels-Capital Region
! New tariffs on 10/03/2008 !

Pick-up charge: € 2,40

Rate I (within the 19 communes of the Brussels-Capital Region): € 1,35/km

Rate II (outside the 19 communes): € 2,70/km

Waiting fee : € 25,00 per hour (1)

Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. customers are charged a flat rate supplement of € 2,00 (the taximeter is fitted with a clock-calendar that registers this flat-rate supplement automatically).

(1) Waiting time: the taximeter automatically switches to waiting time if the tax is driving at less than 20 km/h, for example in traffic jams, at red lights, etc.

(2) Rates above include VAT

These rates are normally visible inside the taxi, like the picture below:

More things to have in mind. In case of complaints, the Ministry has made available forms online that you can fill in. Of course, you should memorize some details about the taxi, i.e. LICENSE NUMBER, and driver name which should be always visible.

LINK FOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT TAXIS IN BRUSSELS
http://www.brusselstaxi.be/site/

I have taken the rule of taking note of this information after I seat in the taxi, because you never know if you will have the chance later. Complains can be about speed, driving style, extra tours, etc....What is actually important here is that the Ministry of Brussels has open an easy door for users to send complaints. Now the ball is on your side, and it depends on you to change things. If you have any trouble, you have to speak up and complain, otherwise things will keep the same.