Flemish people don’t pay real transportation costs

A new study by the independent mobility organization Transport & Mobility (T&M) concludes Flemish people seldom pay the real individual cost of their transportation means, but society does. The culprit are among others the numerous traffic jams that aren’t compensated by taxes or levies.

The study was ordered by the Flemish Environmental Agency (Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij). It reveals that at least upon 2014, society had to pay for a larger piece of the so called ‘external costs’ like greenhouse gases, loss of working hours while in traffic jams and social security coast caused by accidents.

Kilometer tax

One ray of hoop: both people using a company car and a private car recently had to contribute more to the social costs of their movements. Trucks do also with the recent introduction of the kilometer tax, an increase from 26 to 45% for trucks above 12 tons.

According to T&M people who have a company car running on diesel are now taxed partially for the personal benefit (Voordeel Van alle Aard) but are still paying only 21% (4,5 euro) of the real costs (20,5 euro per person per 100 km). So T&M says these cars should be taxed five times higher than today.

Traveling by air most expensive

A few of the other remarkable findings of the study are that cars running on natural gas contribute even less, although government is stimulating this fuel. Traveling by air is the most expensive way with 92% of costs payed by society. The cheapest transportation means is the bicycle, says T&M, because it’s good for health and every 100 km by bicycle is good for a 43 euro bonus in social security. At last the study stipulates that public transport is subsidized even more then the real cost of transportation today. This only makes sense, says T&M, if more people trade in their cars for public transport.

Vlaming betaalt te weinig voor zijn transport