April 05, 2024
The French-speaking Brussels socialist party PS wants the ban on diesel vehicles with emission class Euro 5, which will apply from January 2025, to be postponed for two years. The socio-liberal DéFI also wants a review of the low-emission zone (LEZ) rules. Energia, the former Belgian Petroleum Federation, in turn, wants the rules around the […]
March 26, 2024
Mobility organization Touring is calling for a moratorium on the Euro 5 ban in Brussels from January 2025. Tightening the allowable emissions standard in the Brussels Region would exclude 850,000 vehicles, including 700,000 passenger cars and 150,000 vans. Touring says a moratorium would encourage a smoother transition to EVs, pending a more diverse and affordable […]
January 15, 2024
Last year, the Brussels region fined a record number of motorists who entered the Brussels low-emission zone (LEZ) with a car that was too polluting. Almost 30 000 drivers – 29 643 to be precise – were fined, an increase of almost 60% compared to 2022. In 2020, 12 321 fines were issued; in 2021, […]
December 08, 2023
Since the Brussels Capital Region introduced a low-emission zone (LEZ) in 2018, there has been a 30% reduction in nitrogen dioxide along Brussels’ main roads. Brussels Environment has also observed similar and more significant reductions for other pollutants. Air quality in Antwerp has also improved significantly over the past decade. However, traffic remains the primary […]
December 21, 2022
In the Brussels region, 18 640 fines have already been issued this year for motorists who drove into the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in a car that was too polluting. So reports Brussels Environment. The number of fines rose again compared to last year, despite a longer warning period. Most of the fines are for […]
November 08, 2022
Drivers of scooters and motorcycles have not had to worry much about whether they are still allowed to enter Brussels since the introduction of the LEZ (Low-Emission Zone). However, this will change in 2025. From 1 January that year, the criteria will be tightened, and the LEZ will also apply to thermal mopeds, except for […]
October 07, 2022
Since the introduction of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in Brussels, the number of diesel cars in the capital has fallen, and air quality has improved. This is evident by the latest monitoring by Brussels Environment. In particular, the proportion of Euro 4 diesel vehicles, banned in 2022, has fallen sharply. It went from 14% in […]
March 24, 2022
According to the newspaper L’Echo, Euro 4 diesel cars driving inside the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) won’t be fined until July. The newspaper reports that the official reason is new car delivery delays, but it also cites a computer bug at Brussels Taxation. Since January, Euro 4 diesel cars have been supposedly banned from the […]
March 16, 2022
The noisiest and heaviest aircraft must be banned from Brussels Airport. That is what the Federal Ombudsman for the national airport, Philippe Touwaide, has stated at a press conference on Tuesday. “There are infringements every night, and we don’t pursue them,” Touwaide said, citing the case of noisy aircraft such as Boeing 777s at night […]
November 26, 2021
On Thursday, the Brussels government approved a decree that should help Brussels companies make their company car fleets greener. This will simplify the rules for obtaining the premium and make it accessible to a more significant number of entrepreneurs. Specifically, the Brussels government is releasing 6 million euros for three years. Also, the rules for […]
October 27, 2021
The low-emission zone (LEZ) is not missing its effect in Brussels. Since June 2018, the disappearance of the oldest diesel vehicles has reduced emissions of black carbon, a measure of soot concentration, by more than a third. The 2020 monitoring of Brussels Environment shows this. The LEZ was introduced in Brussels to improve air quality, […]
February 02, 2021
Brussels Cdh MP, Gladys Kazadi, calls out the regional government to do something about the lack of a defined timeline for the Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) after 2025. When the driving ban was introduced in 2018, the calendar for new restrictions after 2025 was supposed to be set in 2020, but nothing has been written yet. […]
January 08, 2024
According to market research ordered by Mobia, the Belgian car buyer will be more impacted by a premium to buy an electric car than by the eventual expansion of LEZ zones. Mobia, the overarching association of car sector federations Febiac (new car market), Traxio (second-hand car market), and Renta (car leasing and renting), has done […]
December 20, 2023
The city of Antwerp will adjust its low-emission zone (LEZ) regulations and postpone the next tightening of the standards from 2025 to 2026. The city will also take additional social measures and increase the number of day passes per year (from 8 to 12). By relaxing the rules, diesel cars with Euro 5 standard (or […]
October 23, 2023
Low-emission zones (LEZ), which prohibit access to certain major cities for heavily polluting vehicles, have been successfully introduced in six European countries, including Belgium. This is according to a French report. In Belgium, the cities Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp, among others, introduced such an LEZ. The report aims to draw lessons for France from the […]
September 20, 2023
The Car-Free Sunday in Brussels again positively impacted air quality and reduced noise pollution. So says the Brussels public service Brussels Environment. On the 23rd Car-Free Sunday, concentrations of nitrogen monoxide and dioxide dropped by 95 and 77%, respectively, compared to a normal Sunday. Readings were taken on Regent Avenue, a spot near Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet where […]
July 19, 2023
The Flemish government decided to slack off the future ban on Euro 2 gasoline cars and Euro 5 diesel cars in the Low-Emission Zones of Antwerp and Gent, the sole cities in Flanders that actually have a LEZ besides Brussels. Initially due to be effective from January 1st, 2025, the ban will be postponed by […]
June 16, 2023
The Brussels government is taking three new social measures to help Brussels residents adopt different travel habits. This was announced by Environment and Health Minster Alain Maron (Ecolo). These include an increase in the Brussels-Air premium for low-income families, new exemptions from the LEZ (low-emission zone) for people with disabilities, and a new range of […]
June 07, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn paid 5 900 euros in fines last year for violations in the Low-Emission Zones (LEZ) of Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels. This is according to the figures Green MP Stijn Bex requested. Fines for unauthorized diesel buses are on a downward trend. In 2019, for example, the company still paid […]
April 13, 2023
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB is behind schedule for the electrification of its bus fleet. So reports the newspaper La Capital. However, that time is short may be clear because, in 2025, a series of buses of MIVB/STIB will no longer meet the standards of the low-emission zone (LEZ). Delays in construction or transformation of […]
April 04, 2023
Planes at Brussels Airport cause strong annoyance to 220 000 residents. As a result, the cost of health damage would amount to more than 1 billion euros annually. This emerged from a new study by Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), the Flemish federation for a better environment. The study, carried out by study agency ENV-ISA at […]
February 21, 2023
Introducing a smart kilometer charge in the Brussels Region does not yet seem imminent for tomorrow. Because the PS continues to obstruct, and political discussions are going on, next to questions about technical operability. On the other hand, it’s getting clear the smart road pricing system on which €33,8 million already spent, will not be […]
December 23, 2022
Wallonia lets go of the tight deadline for its regional low-emission zone (LEZ) that was to become active on January 1st, 2023, and postpones the ban on Euro 0 and Euro I cars for two years until 2025, together with the Euro 3 cars. This means a stay of execution for 6 200 of the […]
November 09, 2022
Wallonia might consider for its regional low-emission zone (LEZ) postponing the ban on Euro 0 and Euro I cars for two years until 2025, Minister for Environment Céline Tellier (Écolo) has said on the news channel LN24. “In crisis times, it would be unthinkable to force people to buy a new car,” she added. The […]
October 24, 2022
The Flemish government will not immediately tighten the low-emission zones in Flanders. That decision will be postponed due to the citizens’ purchasing power crisis. Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) announced the decision on Friday. Normally, the Flemish government would tighten the low-emission zone regulation on January 1st, 2025. According to the new regulation, […]
September 08, 2022
In Auderghem yesterday, on the International Day of Clean Air, Brussels Minister for the Environment Alain Maron (Ecolo) officially opened the doors of the new Air Quality laboratory of Brussels Environment. The laboratory has been completely renovated to have the most accurate and reliable data possible to combat air pollution effectively, following the values and […]
July 22, 2022
The number of low-emission zones (LEZs) in Europe has increased by 40% over the past three years. The statement comes from the European Clean Cities Campaign, a coalition of NGOs whose goal is to achieve emission-free mobility in major European cities by 2030. In Belgium, only Brussels has announced a complete phase-out of fossil fuels […]
July 01, 2022
The Brussels Government has finalized the ‘Low-Emission Mobility Brussels’ roadmap with accompanying measures for gradually phasing out diesel and gasoline engines. In addition, the social support measures were also strengthened. The measures taken are also designed to respect the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement of the EU. 2030 is a turning point As previously […]
May 11, 2022
A new trial involving nearly 400 families living in the area affected by noise pollution from flights of Brussels National Airport is targeting the Belgian government. The civil lawsuit, led by the civic organizations Wake up Crainhem and AWACSS, has been launched at the Brussels Court of First Instance, writes the newspaper La Libre Belgique. […]
May 06, 2022
The new version of the Brussels’Air premium, which has been awarded to motorists who give up their car in the capital since the beginning of March, is a great success. So says the Brussels Minister responsible for Climate Transition Alain Maron (Ecolo). On Tuesday, Brussels Environment handed out the 700th premium, which in two months […]
March 21, 2022
In general, the air quality in the Brussels region is better than expected. However, standards are still exceeded in the capital center and the vicinity of significant traffic axes. The results were obtained from CurieuzenAir, the most extensive air quality study of Brussels. As part of the CurieuzenAir project, air quality measurements were taken at 3 […]
February 03, 2022
In a response to the ruling of the Belgian Council of State, Ghent decided to scrap the ‘discrimination’ in allowing an unlimited access pass for vintage cars older than 40 years into the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and not for younger classics between 30 and 40. Now all classic cars have to buy a €35 […]
January 17, 2022
Since 1 January 2022, Euro 4 diesel vehicles, or the last generation of diesel vehicles without a particulate filter, have been banned from the Brussels Region due to the low emission zone (LEZ), at the risk of a fine of 350 euros. However, the planned support for the households who can – in exchange for […]
December 17, 2021
The weekly meeting of the Brussels government was suspended on Thursday and postponed after the departure of Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) due to disagreement over the proposed new parking fees. According to L’Echo newspaper and Belga news agency, the discussion was about a draft ordinance on parking policy and a draft decree […]
November 23, 2021
Diesel cars in Brussels emit a disproportionate amount of polluting substances in the air. A small number of those cars are responsible for of large part of the air pollution in Brussels. That is the conclusion of a remote-sensing study by the Brussels Region. The study shows that it’s about time to remove the most […]
August 25, 2021
The Brussels-based start-up Decarbone specializes in converting combustion engine vans to electric vehicles but faces administrative problems in Belgium to register these EVs, as the legal framework still lacks. In June, Decarbone received the Sustainable Impact Award presented by Triodosbank as part of the Greenlab initiatives for start-ups committed to sustainability. Decarbone exists since 2019 […]
June 28, 2021
The Brussels government’s decision to ban from 2030 all diesel cars and petrol and LPG cars by 2035 to the whole Region is, as expected, leading to opposing reactions. From “not ambitious enough” and “Brussels is creating a diesel-free island” to “showing a real lack of understanding of the automotive sector”: a short overview of […]
June 25, 2021
While the decision had already been taken by the previous legislation back in 2018, the Brussels government now officializes it. By 2030, it’ll ban all diesel cars, and gasoline cars will be denied access to the whole Region five years later (2035). Authorities have also put up the schedule for the Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) after […]
May 18, 2021
Brussels’ low-emission zone (LEZ) is heading toward its next step in January 2022 with the ban of all Euro 4 diesel vehicles. This will concern around 96 000 cars currently still driving in Belgium. Wallonia, for its part, is set to introduce a general low-emission zone by 2023, starting with pre-1997 cars. In addition to […]
May 06, 2021
The political opposition in Brussels, the (liberal) Mouvement Réformateur (MR), suggests introducing carpool lanes on the six major axes entering the capital. According to the party, it’s a better alternative than the kilometer tax or the reduction of driving lanes. The President of the Mobility Commission at the Brussels Parliament couples that idea to free […]
March 15, 2021
Almost a quarter of all new vehicles registered in the Brussels Region last year are electric or plug-in hybrids. This is shown by figures of the Brussels Region published by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (BISA). A 23% share for electric cars in Brussels is huge but merely explained by the fact that […]
March 12, 2021
Unhappy about the Brussels Region’s mobility policies under the latest legislation, around 150 taxis, 80 motorcyclists, and some fifty car drivers rallied in the Brussels’ streets at the North Station to demonstrate on Thursday. The Belgian Taxi Federation (FeBeT), along with the Mauto Défence, the Elise Taxi Belgium, the Taxi United associations, and the Professional […]
January 07, 2021
The corona pandemic has led to fewer journeys in Brussels. As a result, there has been a stop in the boom in the number of shared mobility operators that the city experienced two years ago. Several operators, such as Hive, Wind, or Tier, withdrew from the market. Yet the Brussels’ micro-mobility sector continues to do […]
February 21, 2024
Flanders’ Christian Democratic party CD&V wants to phase out the low-emission zones. That is what party chairman Sammy Mahdi said during a debate at the Automotive eMotion Summit in the Skyhall, the former departure hall of Brussels Airport. According to Mahdi, these zones have proven successful in reducing the amount of air pollution. However, diesel […]
December 14, 2023
Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has presented the new code of public roads. The current Belgian road code was about half a century old and outdated in some areas, hence the need for an update in the now rapidly changing road traffic in which there is, for example, 80% more cycling, said the minister. […]
November 30, 2023
Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB has ordered 36 electric buses from German manufacturer Daimler Buses. The order is part of a framework agreement for up to 80 standard low-floor buses. The first eCitaro-bus from that order should enter the fleet in early 2026. A new order for 14 additional articulated e-buses is also planned soon. […]
July 06, 2023
Car sector federation Traxio has been studying the latest registrations (first six months of 2023) of new and second-hand cars in Belgium and concludes there’s a real (double) schism in the market between B2B and B2C and between regions. 65% of all new cars have been registered as B2B company cars (companies, leasing, VAT liable), […]
December 22, 2022
Belgium’s biggest bank, BNP Paribas Fortis, wants to be far more active in the mobility sector. So it launched a survey among 2 000 Belgians about their mobility preferences. 35% of the respondents declared not to be ready for electrification (fully electric or hybrid), which is a 6% increase compared to 2021. The electric transition […]
December 19, 2022
The idea of introducing a general speed limit of 100 km/hour on Walloon hhighhways and main roads has not been included in the Walloon government’s revised climate and energy plan (PACE, Plan Air Climate Énergie). Instead of a general speed limit of 100 km/hour, there will be ‘dynamic management’ of speed limits, says Walloon Mobility […]
December 16, 2022
No diesel cars will be allowed in the low-emission zones (LEZ) of Antwerp and Ghent from 2031, the Flemish government decided this week. The newspaper De Morgen was the first to report that, and the deadline for gasoline cars in 2035, which will also be banned. Even plugin hybrid will no longer get free entry. […]
May 10, 2022
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has offered 30 decommissioned buses to Cuba. It concerns 20 Van Hool A330 D1 buses and 10 Mercedes Citaro articulated buses. They are Euro 4 buses, which, under the low-emission zone (LEZ), are no longer allowed in the Brussels region from 1 January 2022. According to the newspaper La Dernière […]
May 02, 2022
On Friday, the RATP, the Autonomous Management of Parisian Transport, temporarily removed 149 electric buses from circulation as a precaution. The reason is two recent fires in such vehicles in the middle of the street in the French capital. The vehicles involved are from the Bolloré Bluebus 5SE series. On Friday, an e-bus running on […]
April 22, 2022
Flemish transport company De Lijn will order 99 electric buses worth 66,5 million euros next year. The delivery of the new buses should allow the old diesel buses, Euro 3 and 4, to be put aside by 2025. The Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB must also renew its fleet of buses that run on thermal engines: […]
January 26, 2022
A new online tool, the Belgian Mobility Dashboard, is to show in real-time how the country evolves in several areas of the broad mobility spectrum. The data ranges from daily congestion figures and the actual cost, how the car fleet performs in reducing CO2 emissions, punctuality of trains, to the number of existing multi-modal mobility […]
January 21, 2022
Although several commercial car-sharing pioneers were forced to throw in the towel in the past, sharing a car instead of ownership has septupled in Belgium in the last five years. Rising from 28 000 in 2017 to 194 005 registered users by the end of 2021. They covered more than 1,1 million rides and 51 […]
June 08, 2021
A mobility expert from the Brussels University VUB pleads for zones in the cities where no SUVs are allowed. The reactions to the proposal are very mitigated. Most of them consider it unfeasible. Mobility expert Eva Van Eeno (VUB) thinks it’s time for action. According to sector federation, Febiac, 48% of the newly registered vehicles […]
March 31, 2021
From July 2021, diesel cars will undergo a more thorough inspection at the annual technical inspection in Belgium. The intention is to check the functioning of the soot filter in a much more precise manner. The various regional ministers (Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia) have reached an agreement on this so that the inspection will be […]
