Editing Hasselt (section)

===Bus===
[[File:Hasselt - Station Hasselt.jpg|thumb|right|Hasselt railway station. All the city's local [[zero-fare]] buses, as well as regional buses and trains depart from here.]]
Hasselt introduced a [[zero-fare]] policy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers.<ref>C. van Goeverden, P. Rietveld, J. Koelemeijer, P. Peeters: [http://www.istiee.org/te/papers/N32/02%20van%20goeverden%20_5-25_.pdf 'Subsidies in public transport'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916064806/http://www.istiee.org/te/papers/N32/02%20van%20goeverden%20_5-25_.pdf |date=16 September 2008 }} ''European Transport'' 32 (2006): 5–25</ref> In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in the reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride).<ref name = "Eltis">{{cite web|url=http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4183|title=Hasselt cancels free public transport after 16 years (Belgium) |publisher=eltis.org}}</ref>

<ref>
{{Citation
  | last = PR Newswire
  | title = Hasselt Celebrates 10 Years of Free Public Transport
  | date = 29 June 2007
  | url = http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=201965
  | access-date = 21 February 2002}}
</ref> The city's official website records<ref name="hasselt.be">{{cite web |url=http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 |title=Stad HASSELT :: 10 jaar gratis openbaar vervoer |access-date=11 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020214003/http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 |archive-date=20 October 2008 }}</ref> passenger growth as follows:

{| border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center;"
|+'''''Passenger growth'''''
|- style="background:#f8f8f8;"
! Year !! Passengers !! Percentage
|-
| 1996 || 360 000 || 100%
|-
| 1997|| 1,498,088 || 428%
|-
| 1998 || 2,837,975|| 810%
|-
| 1999 || 2,840,924 || 811%
|-
| 2000 || 3,178,548 || 908%
|-
| 2001 || 3,706,638 || 1059%
|-
| 2002 || 3,640,270 || 1040%
|-
| 2003 || 3,895,886 || 1113%
|-
| 2004 || 4,259,008 || 1217%
|-
| 2005 || 4,257,408 || 1216%
|-
| 2006 || 4,614,844 || 1319%
|}
A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-o/opver/hasselt.asp |title=Pagina niet gevonden - Gva.be |access-date=21 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720192415/http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-o/opver/hasselt.asp |archive-date=20 July 2011 }}</ref>

In 2013, Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons. The operator increased its claim towards the city, which the city could not pay. Now persons up to the age of 19 travel for free.<ref name = "Eltis"/>