July 01, 2022
The die is cast: Dutch riders of mopeds (and their passengers) will have to wear a mandatory helmet as of January 1st, 2023. Plans for the compulsory helmet were already imminent, but now the situation is finally clear. Those who hit the road without a helmet risk a fine of 100 euros. The measure applies […]
June 30, 2022
The Belgian gas net manager Fluxys and the Norwegian energy company Equinox are analyzing the feasibility of an undersea pipeline for the transport and storage of CO2 in the Norwegian gas fields. The pipeline would connect Zeebrugge and Norway and cover a distance of 1 000 km. Industrial CO2, captured in Zeebrugge, could then be […]
June 29, 2022
This summer, the Belgian energy platform Bolt will provide three festivals – Rock Werchter, Sfinks Mixed (Boechout), and Boomtown (Ghent) – with green electricity. After a first experiment last summer with Werchter Parklife, the company decided to extend the idea to three other festivals. “The organizers of festivals put great efforts into making their projects […]
June 28, 2022
A new study on the cost of decarbonizing European shipping shows that running ships on green hydrogen-based fuels would hardly make consumer goods more expensive. On the contrary, green shipping would add just a few cents to most consumer goods. “Green shipping would add less than 10 cents to a pair of Nikes,” says Faig […]
June 27, 2022
Last year, the federal police fined more than 4,6 million drivers for speeding in Belgium. That is more than ever, or an increase of 14,75% compared to 2020. According to the police, “people experience a kind of urge for compensation after corona.” And, of course, this leads to more traffic fines. “People seem to give […]
June 24, 2022
More and more Belgians are convinced that the (night) train is the ideal mode of transport for trips abroad. According to the Federal Mobility and Transport Agency’s survey, most travelers consider the train the perfect solution for a trip to Paris, London, or other popular European destinations like Amsterdam, Berlin, and Vienna. In the proper […]
June 23, 2022
More than eight out of ten Dutch drivers (86%) prefer their own car above a shared car. What’s more, almost half of all drivers in the Netherlands (46%) will never use a shared car. Not for all the tea in China. These are only some of the surprising conclusions of a survey of MisterGreen Electric […]
June 22, 2022
Mobia, the joint umbrella organization by car federation Febiac, rental car federation Renta, and mobility federation Traxio, will launch a new education program in September to help future automotive and mobility managers. Together, they establish the Automotive Management School to prepare future managers for the challenges of the sector. The car sector is changing rapidly, […]
June 21, 2022
After decades of postponing, the Mobility Committee of the Belgian Parliament is finally going into the details this week of a driver’s with points, as inscribed into the coalition agreement of the Vivaldi government. The Belgian road safety institute Vias was asked to study the consequences and modalities and presented the results to the MPs. […]
June 20, 2022
Now that road tax in Flanders is rising due to the annual indexation on July 1st, mobility organization Touring pleads for a temporary stop of indexation. “Bad timing to increase tariffs by almost 10%,” they say. Touring points out the already sky-high fuel prices and other price-rises consumers are confronted with these days. “The indexation […]
June 17, 2022
This summer, the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB launches a special ‘off-peak summer subscription’ that allows passengers unlimited access to all train transport. The subscription ticket costs 59 euros (or €99 for two) and can be used on weekdays (from 9 a.m.), weekends, and holidays (all day). This new formula, however, is only available for […]
June 16, 2022
In May, 690 drivers were caught using their smartphones at the wheel in the province of East Flanders. As a result, their drivers’ licenses were suspended for eight days. Earlier, the public prosecutor had warned of a severe approach. “The inadmissible use of the smartphone at the wheel will immediately be punished with an eight-day […]
June 15, 2022
Despite the 666 new job recruitments of train drivers and conductors, the Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will cut 1 771 jobs in the coming ten years. On the other hand, the 666 new jobs will expand the train offer by 10%. Rail manager Infrabel will cut 900 jobs by 2032. The company estimates to need […]
June 14, 2022
Flanders has launched its first autonomous shuttle service in Mechelen. The vehicle will be operational in and around the industrial zone of Mechelen North and cover a 2,5 km loop in fifteen minutes. The top speed is about 15 km/hour. Although a driver is unnecessary, the shuttle still has a steward on board, just for […]
June 10, 2022
Flibco.com, a private company that already organizes transport to and from airports like Charerloi, will launch a new passenger transport service to and from Brussel Airport as of June 23rd. The company will be operational in several major cities in Flanders, the Netherlands, and France. And it will operate day and night. Flibco will provide […]
June 09, 2022
In April, the city of Ghent announced the introduction of more shared bicycles in the city. The Danish Donkey Republic, already active in the city for three years, will get new permission for its 500 bright orange city bikes. On top of that, Mobit will launch 200 green city bikes and Dott will offer Ghent’s […]
June 09, 2022
Flanders wants to accelerate the phase-out of natural gas and, therefore, introduces a ban on natural gas connections in newly built houses as of 2025. The majority parties N-VA, CD&V, and Open Vld agreed on a relevant decree on Wednesday. In November 2021, the Flemish government decided to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and […]
June 08, 2022
Flanders is beefing up the subsidies for investments in sustainable trucks for heavy transport and buses. For hydrogen trucks, the subsidies even double. “The government wants to support the sustainable transition,” explained the Flemish Minister of Economy and Innovation, Jo Brouns (CD&V). That is also why the financial support for fossil alternatives like LNG or […]
June 07, 2022
This weekend, Flemish Minister for Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), officially inaugurated the first counting post for cyclists at the former train station of As (Limburg). The Minister allocates one million euros to install some sixty similar counting posts in all Flemish provinces. Each province will have twelve counting locations. Cycling has become increasingly popular […]
May 13, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants to know the effect of lowering the speed on the highways around Ghent. She, therefore, ordered a study, the Minister announced on Thursday in the Mobility Commission of the Flemish Parliament. The Minister hopes she will be able to start a test phase based on the […]
May 12, 2022
On Wednesday, March 11th, energy provider Engie inaugurated its 200th wind turbine on Unilin Insulation’s site in Seneffe. Unilin Insulation is a construction company manufacturing thermal insulation materials. And the energy project contributes to the company’s target to reduce its CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The two new […]
May 12, 2022
The Antwerp Saint Anne tunnel, the so-called ‘pedestrian tunnel’, has been closed for a while because it recently had a makeover. Graffiti was removed and walls and ceilings were painted with a special, water-based antibacterial paint to be moistureproof. The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) finished the job n six […]
May 11, 2022
This summer, 32 municipalities of the Antwerp transport region and the Waasland will roll out a large shared e-bike platform. The project is intended to stimulate the modal shift. The coordinator is Lantis, manager of large construction projects like the Oosterweel connection in Antwerp. The Danish Donkey Republic will provide and maintain the bikes. “As […]
May 11, 2022
Climate change remains a ‘top of mind’ issue. Eight out of ten worry about climate change, and six out of ten Belgian citizens support the Belgian en European target to become climate neutral by 2050. However, only three out of ten feel that also families have to contribute. The figures come from the fifth national […]
May 11, 2022
Drivers who are caught using their smartphones while driving risk the immediate withdrawal of their driver’s license for eight days. That is what the public prosecutor of East Flanders announced. As a matter of fact, the prosecutor’s office confirmed to Belga News Agency that it already had revoked about a hundred driver’s licenses on Monday […]
May 10, 2022
European and US headquartered global companies are not putting much effort into reducing their business trips for climate’s sake. In the international ranking of the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), companies with an A-score are the most ambitious; those dangling at the bottom get the lowest evaluation, a D-score. The ranking grades 230 US and […]
May 09, 2022
Febetra, the federation of Belgian haulers and logistic service providers, has used Mother’s Day to launch a call for more female truck drivers. The freight transport sector urgently needs to fill in 5 000 vacancies in the coming years. In Belgium, hardly 1,66% of truck drivers are female. In 98% of the cases, a man […]
May 06, 2022
On Thursday, Siemens, the German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe, presented a new hydrogen train model at its factory in Krefeld. This first Mireo Plus H, as the model is called, was unveiled as part of the H2goedRail project, a joint endeavor with the German railway manager Deutsche Bahn. […]
May 06, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters’ plans to reorganize the training system for candidate drivers has provoked severe criticism. Mostly criticized is the idea that young drivers have to go through a training period of five to six months before they can take their practical exam unless they cough up a lot of money (€1 […]
May 05, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants to reorganize the training of drivers to get their license. She pleads for a practice period of at least five months and a temporary driver’s license. She also wants to introduce a mandatory training session for coaches, often parents who’re training their son or daughter. They […]
May 05, 2022
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn invests 1,5 million euros in buying three tram simulators. So tram drivers no longer have to attend their practical training lessons alone in real trams and traffic situations. In the future, part of the training will be given virtually. De Lijn trains about 200 tram drivers annually. Some […]
May 04, 2022
The impact of digital technology on the climate is five times more positive than the total digital footprint by 2030. CO2 emissions in Belgium could decrease by 10 to 12% by using digital technologies in the four most CO2-polluting branches of industry. That is the conclusion of a recent study by the technology federation Agoria. […]
May 03, 2022
The Flemish Foundation for Traffic Science (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) launches a new campaign against cell phones at the wheel. VSV discovered that more than eight out of ten drivers regularly use their smartphones while driving. Driving with a hand-held cell phone more than doubles the risk of an accident. Dialing alone multiplies that risk […]
May 02, 2022
Eurostar and Thalys, the two high-speed train operators planning to merge, have created an umbrella holding called Eurostar Group. Jacques Damas, CEO of Eurostar, will become the top executive of the new holding. Eurostar and Thalys will remain fully-fledged railway companies, with headquarters in London and Brussels, respectively. The holding will have its headquarters in […]
April 29, 2022
The new Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a fusion of the harbors of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, wants to become “the green entry to Europe”. Its ambitions are not to be sneezed at: Port of Antwerp-Bruges wants to become Europe’s largest international export harbor, and at the same time reconcile economy and climate. Port of Antwerp-Bruges is determined […]
April 28, 2022
Rental cars will remain very expensive this summer. Prices have increased spectacularly – some almost tripled – because there is more demand than supply. “A rental car eats away the largest part of your holiday budget,” some say. The best advice rental companies can give is to book in advance and on time. In 2020, […]
April 27, 2022
Commuting has to become more sustainable. That is why Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), reserves 2,1 million euros to support companies and organizations that are making commuting more sustainable. The money is intended to support projects and initiatives that are ‘greening’ transport between people’s workplaces and public transport because all too often, […]
April 27, 2022
Corona has turned the world upside down. Many people work from home and will probably keep doing so in the future. Others are still commuting but not necessarily daily. Our moving behavior has become more flexible. Public transport company De Lijn wants to meet the changing expectations of its customers. That is why it temporarily […]
April 26, 2022
Four out of ten Flemish citizens – 42%, to be specific – get annoyed about the driving behavior of their partner. One-third of them (32%) even say they sometimes quarrel about it. Women are more easily irritated (46%) about the driving behavior of their partner than men; men don’t mind that much (37%). The figures […]
April 25, 2022
In 2021, the police fined a record number of drivers for speeding, data VTM News could lay hands on shows. During the first six months of the year, 12 810 infringements per day were registered. Enough to break the record figures from 2020. To be specific, 4 060 468 fines were issued in 2020. Corona […]
April 22, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), has announced the arrival of 43 new average speed checks along the regional roads in Flanders. Local authorities submitted a request for them. “They are best qualified to judge local traffic situations,” explains Minister Peeters. Flanders already has 251 average speeds checks, bringing the total number to […]
April 21, 2022
The Belgian Chamber Committee for Mobility has given the green light for a bill regulating the use of e-scooters in traffic. The new law will provide an age limit of 16, and in the future, e-scooters will be banned from footways. The bill still needs to be approved by the plenary chamber. The e-scooters have […]
April 21, 2022
According to the latest report of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Belgium still is far too dependent on fossil fuels. And after the partial nuclear phase-out in 2025, this reliance will probably only increase. But unfortunately, it also means the country has hardly made any progress in reducing its CO2 emissions. In 2020, 71% of […]
April 20, 2022
The Council of State has decided to stop the works of the Antwerp Oosterweel connection for a second time after receiving complaints from environmental organizations Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) and Greenpeace. Both contest the restart of the earth-moving activities on the left bank of the river Scheldt. It’s the second time that the Council of […]
April 20, 2022
Thirty days without using your car. Quite a challenge. But is it feasible? The Belgian Network for Sustainable Mobility urges to give it a try. The goal of the ’30 Dagen Minder Wagen’ campaign is to change our travel habits and experiment (more) with more sustainable mobility solutions. The initiators hope to motivate people to […]
April 19, 2022
Young start-up E-Load has inaugurated its first powerful public charging station in the industrial zone ‘Europark’ in Houthalen. The Limburg-based company plans to install at least five similar charging stations in the province and is already negotiating with the cities of Genk and Hasselt. The official inauguration took place on Saturday in the presence of […]
April 15, 2022
The Belgian marine service provider, Jan De Nul, has started the construction works of the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm project in France. It will be the first offshore wind farm on French territory. For Jan De Nul, it’s the first offshore assignment in France. De Nul’s jack-up vessel ‘Vole au vent’ will transport the 80 […]
April 14, 2022
Almost half of all Belgians (43%) expect that smart mobility apps will lead to more sustainable trips. About 28% of them think they might encourage them to use public transport more often, one-fifth of respondents (21%) expect they would convince them to opt for more active means of transport (walking or cycling), and 15% say […]
April 14, 2022
The Belgian-Dutch port company North Sea Port, a fusion of the harbors of Ghent, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen, wants to become a hydrogen hub on a European level. The port company, therefore, developed a hydrogen strategy, it announced this week. North Sea Port and the industry are facing the challenge to make the transition from fossil […]
April 12, 2022
The number of seriously injured traffic victims in the Netherlands has increased spectacularly (+18%) in the last ten years. In 2021, 110 000 Dutch traffic victims ended up in Intensive Care; 66 600 of them had serious injuries, mainly caused by bicycle accidents. One out of three (44%) were cyclists aged 55 or older, followed […]
April 11, 2022
After a pilot project launched in October 2021, Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld), has announced that all average speed checks on Belgian highways will be permanently operational before the summer. Drivers exceeding a speed of 129 km/hour will be fined automatically. Average speed checks are considered to be more effective than speed […]
April 08, 2022
The city of Ghent will soon welcome two additional shared bicycle platforms bringing the total number of available (e-)bikes to 1 450. That is what Filip Watteeuw (Groen), Ghent Alderman for Mobility, announced on Thursday. Unlike Antwerp (Velo) and Brussels (Villo), Ghent doesn’t have a traditional bike-sharing system with its ‘own stations’. According to Watteeuw, […]
April 07, 2022
During the first half of 2021, more than 1,6 million drivers in Flanders – 11% more than in the same period in 2019 – were caught speeding. More than half of them (27,4%) drove more than 10 km/hour faster than the allowed speed limit. The figures are based on statistics of the Federal Police. “Speeding […]
April 06, 2022
Up until corona times, aviation was the fastest-growing carbon polluter in the European Union. Still, it is one of the top receivers of free pollution permits relative to their emissions under the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS in short). The EU ETS is a cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change […]
April 05, 2022
The chance that global warming remains limited to 1,5 degrees Celsius has pretty well gone by unless the world comes up with far more ambitious plans to reduce CO2 emissions. That is the devastating conclusion of the latest IPCC report. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations earlier warned that the […]
April 04, 2022
The [email protected] project, the brainchild of BASF Antwerp and Air Liquide in the harbor of Antwerp for the capturing, transport, and storage of CO2 emissions in the empty gas field in the North Sea, will receive 356,9 million euros support from the European Innovation Fund (EIF). On Friday, the agreement for the subsidy was signed. […]
April 01, 2022
The Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), rejects the idea of introducing a maximum speed limit of 100 km/hour on the highways. Yesterday, we wrote that Groen, Flanders’ green political party, had suggested introducing a temporary speed limit of 100 kph on the highways. The measure would improve safety, save money and fuel, […]
March 31, 2022
Stijn Bex, Flemish MP for political party Groen, wants to lower the maximum speed on highways to 100 kilometers/hour. “Driving slower is less consuming.” According to Bex, the measure could save about 0,7 to 1,5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The measure should only apply during the daytime. Björn Rzoska, leader of the parliamentary […]
March 31, 2022
The new transport plan of the Antwerp city administration has the ambition to receive 60% of the visitors to the event halls Sportpaleis and Lotto Arena by sustainable transport. The recent opening of three park-and-ride zones will contribute to it, local authorities say. Since 2005, the city is trying to reduce traffic nuisance in the […]
March 30, 2022
The Institute for Mobility (IMOB) of Hasselt University uses drones and special software to map dangerous traffic situations. The project fits in the MIA approach that Flemish Minister for Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), introduced last year. MIA stands for the Dutch ‘Mobiliteit Innovatief Aanpakken’ (Innovative Approach to Mobility). The general idea is to improve […]
