Before your bus journey
Can children travel unaccompanied?
Children under the age of 4 must be accompanied by someone aged 12 or over.
Are pets allowed on buses?
Pets are allowed on buses only if they can be kept on your lap without inconveniencing other passengers.
Pets that cannot be kept on your lap, because of their size, must be kept on the floor on a leash.
Dogs that might inconvenience other passengers, or pose a threat to them, must be muzzled.
Pets can travel free of charge.
Are bicycles allowed on buses?
You can board buses with your bike free of charge as long as there is enough space and it doesn't inconvenience other passengers.
However, bus drivers and security personnel may, at any time, refuse to allow bikes on board buses. Cyclists are never given priority over other passengers.
Mopeds, motorcycles, etc. are not allowed on public transport vehicles.
Am I allowed to board buses with bulky items?
You are allowed to board buses with items that are easy to carry (such as hand-held parcels), provided this does not violate tax, police or administrative regulations.
I am waiting at the bus stop, but the bus does not stop...
If the bus does not stop at your stop, it is probably because it is full. For safety reasons, when buses are full, no further passengers will be allowed to board. In that case, the driver will continue along the usual route and call only at stops where passengers wish to get off.
The bus I take to work is often late...
During peak hours, both buses and other road users may experience congestion, which could affect traffic flow in the city.
Unfortunately, buses may be delayed during peak hours, especially during school time.
To view bus departures on your smartphone in real time, download the City of Luxembourg's free app, cityapp – VDL.
Bus departure times
I am waiting for a bus at my stop. How can I find out how long I will need to wait?
Bus stops may be equipped with:
- an LED electronic display panel with 4 or 8 lines of text;
- a TFT display screen mounted on the shelter;
- a "< a
- href="https://www.vdl.lu/en/getting-around/bus/routes-and-maps/pilot-project-live-paper">Live-Paper" display, which replaces the traditional paper timetables.
Bus departures – and in some cases, network traffic information – are displayed in real time on all of these media.
For stops that are not equipped with one of these devices, bus departures can be viewed by using a smartphone to scan the QR code displayed on the paper timetable. On scanning the QR code, the user will be directed to the stop's internet page.
What does the information displayed on the various media mean?
The electronic display panel will show:
- the bus line number;
- its final destination;
- upcoming departures (as a countdown in minutes, or the official schedule); and
- the number of the platform that the bus will be departing from (where applicable).
What do the different symbols mean, and can I use them to find out if my bus is late?
Bus pictogram
A simple "bus" pictogram means that the bus is currently at, or is approaching, the stop.
Flashing bus pictogram
If the pictogram is flashing, this means that the bus is about to depart or has just departed.
Pictogram with several vehicles
A pictogram with several vehicles means that the bus is temporarily stuck in traffic between two stops, for example in the event of a traffic jam or accident. If that is the case, it is impossible to estimate when the bus will arrive.
What does "real-time schedule" mean?
The electronic display panels show the actual waiting time before the departure of your bus. This is an estimate that is calculated by the City's operations support system, known as the "ITCS" (Intermodal Transport Control System). As the ICTS can track buses, it can calculate delays with respect to scheduled departure times.
What does "official schedule" mean?
This is the schedule of theoretical departure times as displayed at bus stops, published in leaflets or available in PDF format at (bus.vdl.lu). The official timetable is also displayed on electronic media if a bus cannot be located due to a technical failure, or if the bus in question is not equipped with the ICTS.
More information on real-time departures can be found in the answer to the question above.
Why are departure times sometimes displayed in minutes (e.g. 14') and at other times displayed as a specific time (e.g. 11:59)?
The electronic display panels show the actual waiting time before the departure of your bus. This is calculated by the City's operations support system, known as the "ITCS" (Intermodal Transport Control System). As the ICTS can track buses, it can calculate delays with respect to scheduled departure times.
14 min.
Waiting time, displayed as a countdown in minutes. As the bus tracking system can calculate delays with respect to scheduled departure times, the electronic display panels show an estimate of the actual waiting time before the departure of your bus.
11:59
The scheduled time is displayed as the departure time in the following cases:
- when a bus is not equipped with the tracking system;
- when a bus' tracking system is temporarily unavailable;
- when a bus is scheduled to depart in more than 14 minutes , for LED display panels with 4 or 8 lines of text, or in more than 2 hours, for bus-shelter TFT screens and "Live-paper" displays;
- when a bus without an on-board ITCS is re-routed.
IMPORTANT!
As the system does not have real-time information for these routes, it can only display the departure times listed in the official schedule. This explains why this information is no longer displayed after the time that was previously shown, regardless of whether or not the bus called at the stop.
How does the system know when a bus will arrive?
The information displayed on the screens comes from the ITCS (Intermodal Transport Control System), which is a bus tracking system that can calculate delays with respect to scheduled departure times and provide an estimate of the waiting time. As the displayed waiting time is an estimate, it may not correspond to the actual waiting time. The central ITCS sends estimated times to the various displays across Luxembourg City via data interfaces that communicate in real time.
Are all City of Luxembourg buses equipped with the ITCS?
Yes, all buses operated by the City of Luxembourg and its contractors are in principle equipped with the ITCS and can therefore be tracked.
However, some privately operated buses are not yet equipped with the system and therefore cannot be tracked. For these buses, departure times are displayed according to the official schedule.
What does the scrolling text on the display mean?
Display panels and screens can also show network traffic information, for example, when buses are diverted or a stop is closed.
The same information can be viewed by tapping the News button on "Live-Paper" displays.
During your bus journey
What rules apply for getting on/off buses, and where is this allowed?
Where getting on/off buses is concerned, the Traffic Code stipulates that bus drivers may not let passengers get on/off buses anywhere other than at marked bus stops and bus stations. Similarly, passengers are prohibited from getting on/off buses anywhere other than at bus stops and stations.
This means that if you miss your stop, the driver cannot let you get off before the bus arrives at the next stop. They can, however, tell you how to reach your stop, either by getting off at the next stop, or by staying on the bus until it comes back to your stop.
I have reduced mobility. What can I do to make my journey more comfortable?
If you have reduced mobility, it is important to:
- be seated when the bus starts to move;
- press the stop request button sufficiently in advance;
- wait for the bus to stop before leaving your seat to get off the bus.
When you get on the bus, do not hesitate to ask the driver to wait until you are seated before moving off, or even to tell them the stop where you want to get off.
If the bus is full, can I stand at the front near the driver?
By law, the area near the driver may not be occupied by passengers while the bus is in motion. Every bus is fitted with a barrier that separates the driver's area from the passenger area of the bus. This is a safety measure to ensure that the driver always has enough room to manoeuvre, and that their freedom of movement is not restricted if the bus is crowded or has to brake suddenly.
For understandable visibility and safety reasons, drivers are instructed not to allow passengers to stand in this front area. The driver will ask passengers who remain in this area to step back behind the safety barrier or get off and take the next bus.
Can I get off the bus if traffic has come to a halt?
According to the Traffic Code, and for obvious safety reasons, bus drivers are prohibited from letting passengers get on/off buses anywhere other than at marked bus stops and bus stations.
As such, even if the bus is stuck in a traffic jam, or has stopped at a red traffic light or next to the pavement, you may not get off the bus.
Who announces the names of the bus stops?
In 2015, the City of Luxembourg launched the participatory project, "Votre voix dans les bus de la Ville" (Your Voice on our City Buses), following the example of other cities around the world, where similar schemes have met with great success. Different people have lent their voices to be used to announce bus stops throughout the capital. The voices that were recorded were chosen based on certain criteria (age, sex, etc.) to reflect the multiplicity and diversity of the City.
After your bus journey
I forgot my umbrella on the bus. What should I do?
If you realise that you have left or lost an item on one of our buses, please call the Service Autobus (Bus Department) as soon as possible on 4796-2975.
To make it easier for us to locate your lost property, please tell us as best you can the date and time of your journey, and line number of the bus on which you left your item.
Lost and unclaimed objects will be returned to the Grand Ducal Police's National Lost Property Office (Service national des objets trouvés), which can be contacted on 244 244 070.
Please give any items you find on a municipal bus to the driver.
How do I lodge a complaint or make a suggestion?
For any queries, suggestions or complaints about our bus service, please get in touch with us by filling in our Service Autobus contact form.
When submitting the form, please provide as many details as possible (date, time, line, direction, stop, bus number, etc.) so that we can identify the bus or journey in question.
Report a problem!
If you notice damage to a station or stop (such as a torn schedule), please let us know through our "Report-It" service or contact form.
