De Lijn app awarded in international benchmark

Why the De Lijn App Excels

The benchmark particularly appreciates the app's great user-friendliness and personal customization options. The route planner, which combines real-time information with various travel options such as your own bike, a shared bike, or an e-scooter, also scores highly.

During the trip, travelers can follow their vehicle live on a map, track their journey step by step, including delays. Additionally, the integration of ticket purchases and the ability for digital boarding are seen as important assets. With digital boarding, subscribers no longer need to carry their MOBIB card. Their subscription is activated and verified directly within the app, making travel even simpler.

“The high score in this international benchmark confirms that De Lijn is a leader in digital innovation within public transportation. For Flanders, this is a crucial step toward a modern and accessible mobility offering. That De Lijn also invests in a simplified mode for those less digitally skilled shows that digitalization can go hand in hand with inclusion. This way, we build strong and future-oriented public transportation for everyone,” says Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder.

“Our app has become a true travel companion: it helps you plan your journey, guides you during the ride, and provides more assurance along the way. It’s gratifying to see that so many travelers appreciate the app and actively use it. We continue to refine that experience so our customers can always reach their destination smoothly, reliably, and with less stress,” says Ann Schoubs, Director-General of De Lijn.

Built Together with Travelers

De Lijn develops its app in close collaboration with users through user tests and an active beta community. This ongoing dialogue with travelers contributes to the high benchmark score and future innovations.

Numbers That Speak

The De Lijn app is currently used monthly by over 1 million active unique users. Together, they have accounted for more than 20.5 million digital boardings. The app has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in app stores.

First App, Then Board

With the campaign ‘First app, then board,’ De Lijn emphasizes the importance of being well-prepared for travel. Those who consult the app before departure travel more smoothly and with less stress. The app bundles all essential functions in one place: a door-to-door route planner, real-time departure times refreshing every 15 seconds, vehicles that can be tracked live on a map, and a handy function to receive an alighting alert during the ride. Travelers can also save their favorite stops and lines, set personalized notifications for detours or disruptions, and easily purchase and manage their tickets.

Looking Ahead: A Simplified App Mode

In addition to existing functionalities, De Lijn is working on a simplified app mode. This mode is intended for travelers who find it challenging to navigate digital applications, such as people with limited digital skills, low literacy, or disabilities.

The simplified mode will not be a separate app but an extra usage option within the existing application. The interface emphasizes simple language, large high-contrast buttons, and one action per screen, so that the main features—planning routes or checking departure times—become very accessible. The first prototype will be tested with user groups this fall. By the end of 2025, a beta version will follow, with a broader rollout in 2026. In this way, De Lijn aims to make its app accessible to an even larger and more diverse group of travelers.

Our app: your smart travel companion...

Thanks to the real-time information in our redesigned app, you know when your bus or tram is coming. During the ride you will also be shown the upcoming stops. Take it a step further and set an alarm to notify you when it’s time to get off. Or activate immediately upon entering the vehicle your planned route so that the app guides you from departure to arrival. But that’s not all: our app is useful for lots of things. For buying your ticket, for example, or mapping out the best routes by train, tram, metro or bus.

Discover the app