December 01, 2023
Research by the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) shows that half of the truck drivers place objects on their dashboards, including illuminated miniature Christmas trees in the end-of-the-year season. These items can obstruct visibility, increasing the risk of (blind spot) accidents. VSV is, therefore, launching a campaign with the transport sector […]
December 01, 2023
In Machelen, the new 710-meter-long bicycle and pedestrian bridge, the longest in Flanders, has been in place since Thursday. The new bridge over Leopold III Avenue between Machelen and Zaventem not only ensures a safe crossing but also forms a hitherto missing link in the route of the future Ring Cycle Path and connects to […]
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. […]
November 29, 2023
The first metro of the Grand Paris Express, a massive 15-year project that is set to revolutionize transport in the region around the French capital, rolled out in Paris on Tuesday. The new rapid transit lines should connect the periphery, or the Île-de-France region, to the capital and are expected to serve 2 million passengers […]
November 28, 2023
De Lijn will order up to 1 600 charging points to charge electric buses in its depots. The Flemish public transport company is placing the order with two suppliers: TM SPIE-Ekoenergetyka and ABB. De Lijn will purchase some 320 to 490 charging points in the first phase, representing an investment of 15,3 million euros. The […]
November 27, 2023
Municipalities will soon be allowed to install fixed speed cameras and average speed checks in bicycle streets. The Flemish government has decided this, reports the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, among others. It is already happening in some Flemish municipalities. In the Bodukap police zone in the Antwerp region, for example, 22-speed pedelec users were recently cautioned […]
November 27, 2023
Never have travelers in Belgium filed so many complaints about canceled or late trains. That was reported by the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Ombudsrail, the ombudsperson service for train passengers, already received a third more complaints from dissatisfied passengers in 2023 than last year, a record number. There are many more complaints. After all, travelers […]
November 24, 2023
Brussels Airlines and shuttle transport specialist Flibco are launching a collaboration to offer connections between Lille and eleven destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The bus service operated by Flibco between Lille and Brussels Airport in Zaventem will automatically be included in the air ticket. This is a pilot project that both companies hope to expand later. […]
November 23, 2023
The speed limit on the Paris Ring Road will drop from 70 to 50 km/hour. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced this during the presentation of the capital’s new 2024-2030 climate plan. Moreover, a lane on the ring road will be reserved only for taxis, public transport, and carpooling. The new speed limit on the périphérique […]
November 22, 2023
Now that works on the Brussels Metro 3 have been delayed due to budget problems and the new line may not come into full service until 2038 or later, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is to investigate possible alternatives to increase the public transport offer on that planned line. So reports La […]
November 21, 2023
A first section of the Regional Express Network (RER) between Ottignies and the junction towards Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia has been put into service. The RER, or GAN in Dutch, is a suburban network in and around Brussels. The 2,5 km stretch consists of two central tracks for fast trains and two sidings for local trains. […]
November 21, 2023
A 70 km/hour speed limit will now apply on the middle or central lane on roads in Wallonia with markings for bicycle paths on both sides. So, reports Sudinfo and La Libre Belgique. The Walloon government’s decree, which sets the speed limit, was published in the Belgian Bulletin of Acts. The rule was already in […]
November 20, 2023
Anyone who has booked a flight with Brussels Airlines during the Christmas holidays should cross their fingers: cabin crew have issued an indefinite strike notice. When the strike will occur is not yet clear, but staff threatens to inconvenience during the Christmas holidays. The direct cause, according to the union, is the company’s failure to […]
November 17, 2023
Brupass and Brupass XL tickets are now also available digitally in the MIVB/STIB, NMBS/SNCB, and TEC apps, and from the beginning of 2024, also at De Lijn. They’re the first digital tickets that allow travelers to travel on the four public transport networks in Brussels and its outskirts. For MIVB/STIB, this is an additional novelty […]
November 16, 2023
Financially troubled French Alstom, manufacturer of trains, metros, and rail systems, has to cut some 1 500 jobs or almost 10% of all commercial and administrative positions. At the same time, it will sell business units, although it is unclear which ones will be involved. This should raise between 500 million and one billion euros. […]
November 15, 2023
The digital information screens in the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB stations are getting a new look. The new design allows more information during disrupted train traffic and increases readability. The new design can already be seen in Brussels station, and stations in the rest of the country will follow by the end of this […]
November 15, 2023
From 6 January, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn will start a new, significant step in the rollout of its primary accessibility network. Buses will be concentrated on lines with higher demand and thus drive less through neighborhoods. In the process, De Lijn will cut over 3 000 stops or about 17% of the total […]
November 14, 2023
Travelers can now test and help improve new features of the Belgian public rail operator NMBS/SNCB’s app before the features are integrated into the official app. They can test those new functions via the app ‘NMBS Lab’. That application is like the official NMBS/SNCB app but without the ability to buy tickets. Users can already […]
November 13, 2023
Nearly 600 people participated in a protest march in Zaventem on Sunday against the expansion of Brussels Airport. The participants also demanded the abolition of night flights and a limitation on the number of flights annually. According to the campaigners, the government should impose binding targets on noise pollution and emissions. In the meantime, Flanders […]
November 10, 2023
Using the phone while driving? Check. Not using a direction indicator when changing lanes or parking in a place for people with disabilities or in the cycle lane? Check. A survey of over 12 000 residents of ten European countries, commissioned by Foundation Vinci Autoroutes, which operates toll roads in France, shows that most Europeans […]
November 09, 2023
Brussels’ nineteen municipalities want to introduce a tax on electric charging points on public roads, like fuel stations are currently taxed in most of them. This was discussed at the Conference of Brussels Mayors on Wednesday. The logic behind introducing the tax is that the municipalities would otherwise lose revenue from parking fees. An agreement […]
November 08, 2023
Cars that are highly ‘self-driving’ will not be allowed to drive on Belgian roads for now. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) remains interested in self-driving cars, but there is still too much uncertainty regarding safety. Among others, his Flemish colleague Lydia Peeters, the French-speaking liberals MR, and the mobility organization Touring are unsatisfied with the […]
November 07, 2023
Cycling in Brussels is becoming increasingly popular. So reports the Brussels public service Brussels Mobility. Last week, for instance, the ten millionth bike or e-scooter movement was counted past one of the region’s 18 counting poles, half a million more than last year or double the number four years ago. The relative figures also confirm […]
November 06, 2023
Danish container shipping company Maersk, which accounts for about a sixth of global container trade, is to cut at least 10 000 jobs worldwide. The industry is struggling with falling rates and increasing competition and the company is so protecting its profitability says CEO Vincent Clerc. The layoffs are expected to save the company 600 […]
November 03, 2023
The third quarter was the most profitable ever for Brussels Airlines. Adjusted operating profit (EBIT) rose by 21 million euros compared to the same period last year, to 72 million euros. The airline also expects record profits for the whole year. Lufthansa, the German parent company of Brussels Airlines, also recorded a record summer, with […]
November 02, 2023
For the first time, Brussels Airlines has added a brand-new aircraft from its aircraft manufacturer to its fleet. The plane in question is an Airbus A320neo. Four more such aircraft, which are quieter and less polluting than older aircraft, will follow in the coming months. The aircraft, produced at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, has […]
October 31, 2023
In a new auction of the Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM), the support mechanism to ensure electricity supply in Belgium from 2025, several new battery projects have received support. The temporary lifetime extension of the old Vilvoorde gas-fired power plant is also receiving support. All the 22 projects that participated will receive subsidies, reports system operator […]
October 30, 2023
The board of directors of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will soon consider a possible 5 to 6% fare increase early next year. The Rail Passenger Advisory Committee is already recommending that the indexation be postponed, mainly because of deteriorating services. Until now, NMBS/SNCB has traditionally raised fares every year at the beginning of February. Last […]
October 30, 2023
Airline Air France-KLM posted its best quarter ever this summer. From the period from July to September, the French-Dutch airline group retains an operating profit of 1,3 billion euros, which is an improvement on the record set six years ago. Profits rose by almost a third in the third quarter compared to last year and […]
October 27, 2023
Belgian courts may force people who commit serious traffic offenses to take a reintegration course from 2024. The aim is to reduce the risk of recidivism, which is currently very high. “It is necessary to take effective long-term measures to correct this dangerous behavior behind the wheel,” says federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo). He […]
October 26, 2023
The ministerial cabinets of the federal government and the various federated entities have already traveled around the world 66 times since coming to power. This carried a price tag of over 33 million euros, and the trips generated 1 500 tons of CO2 emissions. So write the IPM Group newspapers, including La Libre Belgique. By […]
October 25, 2023
Taxes on EVs should be reviewed soon. If not, the Belgian state will miss out on €1,5 billion yearly tax revenues by 2030. So argue economists Bruno De Borger and Stef Proost, attached to the universities of Antwerp and Leuven, respectively. After all, EVs also create congestion costs, and by taxing them less, they indirectly […]
October 25, 2023
Rail operator Lineas, Europe’s largest private freight operator headquartered in Belgium, lacks funds. Without an additional injection of at least 50 million euros, bankruptcy is looming for the company, of which the Belgian government is a shareholder, so write business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo. Belgian federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants the government […]
October 24, 2023
The Belgian edition of the free newspaper Metro, distributed mainly through public transport, will cease publication because it is no longer viable. Rossel Group, the owner of Metro, has announced this. As the last printed free newspaper in the country, Metro is also entirely dependent on advertising revenue. And those remain structurally too low to […]
October 24, 2023
Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB’s fares are likely to be indexed from September 2024 and consequently increase by 6,9%, except for preferential fares. So reports the business newspaper L’Echo. For the past ten years, all MIVB/STIB fares have been frozen, and no indexations have been implemented, precisely to make Brussels public transport more accessible. At the […]
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 […]
October 20, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters has completed her draft investment program for 2024. Almost 700 projects will be supported, accounting for an investment of 2,2 billion euros. Most investments fall within cycling, road safety, and sustainability. According to Peeters (Open VLD), never has so much been invested in cycling infrastructure in […]
October 20, 2023
German railway group Deutsche Bahn (DB) is selling its British subsidiary Arriva, which operates bus and train lines in ten European countries, to US infrastructure investor I Squared Capital. DB, which acquired Arriva for 3 billion euros in 2010, wants to focus on its core market in Germany. According to the German press, I Squared […]
October 19, 2023
Air France will virtually disappear from Orly Airport by 2026. The French airline plans to concentrate its flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The decision comes as domestic flights from Orly are becoming less popular, as people more often video-conferee or travel by train. Sister carrier Transavia will now become Group Air France’s reference carrier […]
October 18, 2023
Guerrilla climate activists Tyre Extinguishers deflated tires of 55 SUVs in Ghent during the night from Monday to Tuesday. This was a coordinated action, as that same night activists also struck in cities in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Latvia – a first. In total, the tires of more than 200 SUVs were deflated. The […]
October 17, 2023
The European Union will defend eliminating fossil fuels well before 2050 at the November COP28 climate summit in Dubai. This is rated in the joint position adopted unanimously by the 27 member states. “The transition to a climate-neutral economy requires the elimination of ‘unabated’ fossil fuels at the global level,” meaning no CO2 is captured […]
October 16, 2023
The Belgian driver still has a foot that is too heavy. For example, over half (55%) drive too fast in built-up areas at least once a month. One Belgian in four also uses his cell phone behind the wheel. E-step users are also indifferent. Half of Belgians (49%) say they have driven two on such […]
October 13, 2023
On December 10th, Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB will start the first phase of its plan to expand its train offer significantly. In the first phase, however, the expansions remain limited. The extensions are part of the 2023-32 public service contract that NMBS/SNCB signed with the federal government at the end of last year, aiming […]
October 12, 2023
European airports think that starting next year, they will regain the volume of passenger traffic they had before the coronavirus crisis. That is a year ahead of schedule. ACI Europe even foresees a slight increase compared to before the Covid-19 disruption, according to their updated Airport Traffic Forecast 2023-2027. The International Association of European Airports […]
October 12, 2023
Evolyn, which plans to rival Eurostar’s high-speed trains between Paris and London, has ordered its first 12 trains from French train builder Alstom. Plans for a competitor to Eurostar’s high-speed trains via the Channel Tunnel became public in July. Behind Evolyn are French and British companies, which reportedly include British transport operator Monica, the former […]
October 11, 2023
Liège’s new tramway has successfully completed its first run through the city streets. A first track was completed on a six-kilometer stretch between the Droixhe depot and Coronmeuse station. Meanwhile, the works in Liège, which suffered several setbacks and delays, are moving ahead, and the first commercial run is expected to take place in 2025. […]
October 11, 2023
Hydrogen gas (H2) can be used as fuel for cabs and other cars in Brussels without any problems. That is the conclusion reached by D’Ieteren’s Taxis Verts and Colruyt’s Virya Energy after a one-year pilot project involving more than 55 000 km of driving. According to the two initiators, the zero-emission technology could, in the […]
October 10, 2023
Antwerp-based tanker shipping company Euronav remains in Belgian hands. Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) and the Norwegian Frontline, Euronav’s two major shareholders, have reached an agreement on the matter. The agreement is described as one of the largest deals in the shipping industry in recent decades. “A huge milestone”, says CMB CEO Alexander Saverys, who is […]
October 10, 2023
Nearly 10 major European cities, including Paris, Brussels, and Rome, have petitioned the European Parliament, demanding stricter standards for air quality and exhaust emissions. The 27 EU member states approved in September a watered-down regulation. This has yet to be negotiated with the European Parliament, which has not yet determined its position. The 27 do […]
October 09, 2023
In the Antwerp port area, logistics company Wijngaard Natie is now driving around with four fully electric trucks, produced by Volvo Trucks. This would be the first all-electric port transport in Antwerp, although Katoen Natie is also using the Volvo FH Electric. The four trucks should mark a turning point in the transition to sustainable […]
October 09, 2023
The Federal Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), has a preliminary draft ready for a framework law to provide a legal basis for all decisions regarding the operation of Brussels Airport. According to the minister, the text is essential to avoid new legal proceedings over noise pollution, in which the State sometimes has to pay […]
October 06, 2023
If it were up to Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), too-loud cars and motorbikes in the Brussels Region could be sent directly to a testing station for a technical inspection. According to her party colleague and MP Lotte Stoops, the effect of noise on our health is still too often underestimated. “Noise […]
October 06, 2023
Sales of new speed pedelecs fell 31,4% in Belgium in September compared to the same month last year. This is reported by sector federation Traxio. In September, 1 212 speed pedelecs were sold, compared to 1 767 in the same month last year. However, on the second-hand market for speed pedelecs, a clear increase of […]
October 05, 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scrapping part of the HS2 high-speed rail line construction. At a Conservative Party conference, he announced to give up the link between Birmingham and Manchester. The 36 billion pounds it will release will be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and Midlands, across the country.” […]
October 05, 2023
The Brussels Region is planning 1 200 new charging points for EVs next year. Brussels Energy and Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) has announced a public contract. Sixty of these charging points will be exclusively for car sharing. By 2035, the Brussels Region aims to have 22 000 publicly accessible charging points for electric cars. […]
October 04, 2023
Air France-KLM is buying into Scandinavian airline SAS. The Franco-Dutch airline group is acquiring 19,9% of Danish-Swedish SAS, which has been struggling for several years, for 144,5 million dollars. The deal also includes SAS’s exit from Star Alliance, the airline alliance that includes Germany’s Lufthansa (and its Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines) and US-based United Airlines. […]
October 03, 2023
With the ‘Green Deal Inclusive Car Sharing’, the Brussels Region wants to encourage as many Brussels residents as possible to share cars. Launched by Brussels Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) and his Mobility colleague Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), the project aims to make car sharing in Brussels more significant, sustainable, and inclusive. The project […]
October 02, 2023
Elia, the transmission system operator of Belgium’s high-voltage grid, has reached an agreement with Flemish Energy Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) on increased compensations for residents living near Ventilus. That is the future high-voltage line that will bring electricity from offshore wind farms to Belgium and beyond. West Flanders mayors of the villages involved are reacting […]
September 29, 2023
Belgian company CMB.TECH is building Africa’s first public filling station in Namibia with on-site green hydrogen production. The site in Walvis Bay uses solar energy to make the hydrogen. Its strategic location should provide direct access to major shipping routes. “Our facility will supply hydrogen to trucks, ships, and railway applications,” the company says. The […]
September 29, 2023
Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is forced to cancel a series of flights during the upcoming winter season due to delivery delays of new aircraft by US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. At Brussels Charleroi Airport, Ryanair will station three planes less than planned, canceling up to 12 flights daily as no spare planes are available. A few […]
