The new Bruxell’Air bonus launched in March 2022 was awarded to 2 300 Brussels residents last year. This bonus allows Brussels residents who give up their cars to benefit from the offer of sustainable mobility services, such as public transport, cabs, bicycles, scooters, shared vehicles, etc.

According to the Brussels Minister for Climate Transition, Alain Maron (Ecolo), it is tripling compared to the previous year. Striking: the new formula is catching on in lower-middle or even middle-income groups, and a bicycle budget is almost always chosen.

New formula hits the mark

The old formula, introduced in 2006, offered only two options: a subscription to the public transport company MIVB/STIB or 500 euros to finance the purchase of a bicycle.

In the new formula, the premium amount has been increased and modulated according to income – 500, 700, or 900 euros – so that the most vulnerable people are the primary beneficiaries.

This social objective was achieved last year. Alain Maron said more than 60% of the premiums were granted to low-income or disabled households. Moreover, the highest incomes seem reluctant to give up the car since only 11% of the premiums benefited the highest revenues (above 90 100 euros per household, or 75 100 euros for a single person).

Almost half chose bicycle

The bicycle, in particular, is clearly on the rise. Of the 2 300 bonuses awarded, 1 112 beneficiaries chose to invest the money received in a bicycle budget. In comparison, 711 people preferred the MIVB/STIB subscription bonus, and 467 for the car-sharing service Cambio.

“You have to see these figures alongside the explosion of cycling in Brussels,” said Alain Maron in the newspaper La Dernière Heure. “Something is happening. There’s a knock-on effect. When you see people around you cycling, you think, ‘Why not me? On the other hand, we need to continue investing in new cycling infrastructure and safety. But it’s clear that we’ve entered a new dynamic.” Also striking: 46% of those applying for the bonus are, in fact, women.

Still room for improvement

In 2019, the Brussels-Capital Region alone was responsible for 61% of nitrogen emissions (NOx) and 26% of fine particulate emissions. Transport is also one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: in 2019, it accounted for 26% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Brussels.

As previously announced, diesel cars and vans, hybrid or otherwise, will be banned from 2030.

In general, 60% of trips made by car in Brussels are less than five kilometers long. And 98% of Brussels residents breathe air that is more polluted than recommended by the WHO. Plus: the capital still has too many kilometers of traffic queued daily.