March 14, 2023
The die is cast: the so-called ‘three-country train’ will finally be welcome on Belgian territory. As of December, the train will connect three countries: every hour, a train will run between Liège (Belgium), Maastricht (the Netherlands), and Aachen (Germany). The plans for the three-country train – a Dutch initiative – go back to 2016, when […]
March 13, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants to install solar panels on the unused land of The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) to generate renewable energy and reduce AWV’s high electricity bill. The last invoice amounted to no less than 45 million euros. The energy will mainly be used […]
March 13, 2023
Today, one in 500 Belgian employees has a mobility budget (MOB). Their number almost doubled in one year: from 0,10% in 2021 to 1,18% in 2022. With the federal mobility budget, employees exchange their (right to a) company car for a budget they can use to organize their own mobility sustainably. Given the limited absolute […]
March 10, 2023
A new study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung, IFEU), commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that the European Union wastes millions of hectares of fertile cropland for the production of biofuels. Crops for biofuels consumed in Europe require 9,6 Mha of land – an area larger […]
March 10, 2023
The MIUNIK Salt concept from German design firm ID Design is a lightweight, maneuverable, and practical electric motorcycle. It is built on a modular platform and intended for the urban dweller. The vehicle’s aim is to provide a multi-faceted user experience thanks to a very deliberate design that can be mixed and matched to suit […]
March 09, 2023
The construction of rush-hour lanes on the E313 between Beringen and Ham (Limburg) in the direction of Antwerp will start on Friday. Temporary road signs will be installed, and the actual works at exit complex 25a Tessenderlo will start on Saturday. Entrances and exits in Tessenderlo toward Antwerp will be renewed before the summer. The […]
March 09, 2023
The Belgian marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul and engineering office Tractebel have jointly developed new floating solar technology capable of operating in harsh marine conditions. This summer, they will set up a test installation off the Belgian coast for experiments. SEAVOLT, as the project is called, combines the expertise of solar, environmental, […]
March 08, 2023
Women’s lifestyles are less polluting than men’s, but the ‘fair sex’ is more often the victim of climate change. That is the remarkable conclusion of an economist consulted by the French international news agency AFP. A nice little tidbit to reveal on March 8th, International Women’s Day, focusing on issues such as gender (in)equality. “Even […]
March 07, 2023
Anyone bragging about street racing or driving excessively fast on social media or TikTok should be severely fined. At least, that’s Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet’s opinion. Gilkinet (Ecolo) proposes penalties of up to 1 000 euros and/or one year without a driver’s license. Excessive speed has always been considered one of the major killers in […]
March 03, 2023
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by under 1% in 2022, which is less than initially feared. The growth of solar, wind, EVs, heat pumps, and energy efficiency helped limit the impacts of increased use of coal and oil amid the global energy crisis. That is the conclusion of a recent analysis, ‘CO2 Emissions in […]
March 02, 2023
The European Commission wants to introduce a universal digital driver’s license. It should be accessible on smartphones and other digital devices, and it should be easier to replace or renew someone’s license. Such a digital document, issued nationally, should be recognized throughout Europe. According to the Commission, youngsters in the EU should be able to […]
March 02, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn refuses the city of Ghent’s request to no longer remove bus stops. De Lijn counters that by saying it is adapting its bus network to the principles of ‘basic accessibility’ and that stops can disappear and be added elsewhere. “The idea is to strengthen public transport where demand is […]
March 01, 2023
Dredging companies DEME and Jan De Nul, world leaders in dredging and constructing offshore wind farms, are joining forces to create the energy island that will be built off the Belgian coast. Both Belgian companies – eternal competitors but now united in a new consortium called TM Edison – have won the tender for constructing […]
March 01, 2023
Flemish citizens lose fifteen months of healthy life due to exposure to fine particles in the air. That is the disturbing conclusion of Statistiek Vlaanderen, the Flemish governmental agency network that develops statistics. Due to air pollution, in 2021, 153 healthy life years were lost (per 10 000 inhabitants) in the Flemish region, 10 000 […]
February 28, 2023
The construction of new wind farms at sea risks being delayed, reports research company BloombergNEF. The reason for the delay is the shortage of large vessels used for the installation of wind turbine foundations on the ocean floor. Offshore energy is considered a crucial alternative to fossil fuels. It should help reduce CO2 emissions and […]
February 27, 2023
Almost two-thirds of drivers (65%) in Britain believe aggressive cyclists and motorists are putting lives at risk. Of over 2 000 drivers surveyed, the majority of respondents claimed that both aggressive motorists (78%) and aggressive cyclists (65%) are a threat to their personal safety. That is the conclusion of a recent survey commissioned by road […]
February 24, 2023
Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish multinational power company, and Stromma Group, a sightseeing bus and boat service provider operational in six countries, are investing in emission-free, electric sightseeing boats. They will kick off their project in Amsterdam, and electrify Stromma’s boat fleet to provide fossil-free transportation. Vattenfall will supply the battery system for the emission-free operation […]
February 24, 2023
Last year, more young candidate drivers (<20) in the Netherlands got their driver’s licenses than in 2021. Still, their number is smaller than before the corona outbreak. According to the Central Office for Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), this is due to the corona measures. As a result, driving lessons could not take […]
February 23, 2023
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Axxicom Airport Caddy are launching an experiment with self-riding wheelchairs this week. The wheelchairs, equipped with smart technology from WHILL Autonomous Mobility, are already being used successfully at major airports such as Tokyo International Airport in Japan. The wheelchair service should improve customer satisfaction and contribute to Schiphol’s objective to make […]
February 23, 2023
Last year, traffic in Belgium killed 521 people, 8% more than in 2021. One out of three victims was a cyclist or pedestrian. The number of cyclists killed increased from 74 to 95, the highest figure ever. And people aged over 65, many of them driving an electric bicycle, accounted for half of the victims. […]
February 22, 2023
Since car traffic in Europe started to get going again after the corona crisis, the number of road deaths went up again. Fortunately, the figures remain below those before the corona pandemic. Last year, there were three percent more deaths on European roads compared to 2021. In 2022, about 20 600 people died in traffic. […]
February 22, 2023
For the first time since the European Union introduced the CO2 emission rights, the price of 100 euros per ton of CO2 was exceeded on Tuesday. The leading EU Allowance contract briefly peaked at 101,25 euros. A milestone reflecting the increased price factories and power plants have to pay when they pollute. The European Union […]
February 21, 2023
On Monday, February 20th, the preparational works for an important part of the bicycle highway between Ghent and Brussels started. The F2 bicycle highway runs from Ghent – via Melle, Wetteren, and Aalst, among others – to Brussels. The F2 passes various train stations, optimizing multi-mobility. Workers began by clearing shrubs and trees near the […]
February 20, 2023
Last year, the Flemish technical inspection centers wanted to raise the prices by 33%, but their proposal was immediately turned down by Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld). She suggested doing something about customer friendliness first, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Lately, there has been a flood of complaints about long waiting […]
February 17, 2023
More than eight out of ten Flemish drivers would flunk their theoretical driving test if they were to take it again. That is what mobility organization VAB discovered after organizing a large-scale ‘traffic quiz’. Almost five thousand people participated in the quiz; 86,1% failed. Although most of them have had their driver’s licenses for ten, […]
February 16, 2023
TomTom, the Dutch developer of location and navigation technology, has acclaimed the city of London as the city with the slowest traffic in the world. Last year, drivers needed 36 minutes and 20 seconds on average to cover a 10 km stretch in the British capital. Brussels sits in 14th place in the world ranking, […]
February 15, 2023
Almost one in seven young drivers drove under the influence of one or more drugs in the past month. Eight percent of Belgian motorists – 5% in Flanders and 8% in Wallonia – drive a car after using sleeping pills or tranquilizers at least once a month. In Brussels, the problem is even worse: 17% […]
February 15, 2023
The city of Antwerp is planning to install at least two ‘fast charging squares’ for electric vehicles on its territory. Each of them will have eight fast charging points where electric vehicles can recharge a considerable amount of kWh in 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of vehicle. A high-voltage cabin will guarantee […]
February 14, 2023
The number of cyclists traveling through Brussels during the morning rush hours almost doubled in 2022 compared to 2021. Cyclists seem to be moving increasingly safely in the city. The conclusions come from the Bicycle Observatory. Four times a year, the Bicycle Observatory organizes bicycle countings in the Belgian capital. The 104 hours of manual […]
February 13, 2023
In 2022, car use in Belgium increased slightly again. The average passenger car covered 16 589 kilometers last year, or 8% more than in 2021. Nevertheless, this figure remains 7,5% lower than in pre-corona times. The differences are smaller for vans. Light commercial vehicles covered an average of 19 542 km last year, which hardly […]
February 10, 2023
With 1,45 billion vehicles worldwide, the car insurance experts at Compare the Market, a UK price comparison website founded in 2006, wanted to see which countries really do have the best and worst drivers. The researchers ‘analyzed’ drivers in 50 countries, although the method used should be taken with a pinch of salt. They looked […]
February 10, 2023
John Deere, the American manufacturer of agriculture machinery and lawn care equipment, has just announced that it’s joining the electric revolution and launching a line of battery-powered residential ride-on lawnmowers. Up first is the Z370R Electric Ztrak Residential Zero Turn mower, launched on Tuesday. The new fully electric ride-on mower – an industry-first, according to […]
February 09, 2023
In the future, the supply and demand of electricity will increasingly depend on the weather circumstances. That is the conclusion of the International Energy Agency’s latest report presented in Paris on Wednesday. The report highlights the need for faster decarbonization and accelerated deployment of clean energy technologies. Drought and heat waves in Europe, India, and […]
February 08, 2023
Last year, freight transport by train fell by 7,5% compared to 2021. According to data on the open website of rail network manager Infrabel, it reached its lowest level in six years, with 58,3 million tons. In 2021, freight transport by train reached its highest level in more than ten years, with almost 63 million […]
February 08, 2023
Poppy Mobility, the car, e-scooter, and e-bike sharing daughter of D’Ieteren Automotive, is taking its first steps in Wallonia, in Liège, to be more specific. The shared mobility company, with a fleet of bright red vehicles, has been active in Antwerp, Mechelen, Brussels, Ghent, and the Belgian airports. In January of this year, Poppy announced […]
February 08, 2023
The Belgian Council for Permit Disputes rejected on Tuesday the claim of four nature movements for a speed procedure to suspend the environmental permit to build a fourth tunnel under the River Scheldt in Antwerp. The Council judged the claim insusceptible as the environmental action groups neglected to act in time but didn’t give a […]
February 07, 2023
About 42% of Dutch citizens older than 18 own one or more electric bicycles, electric motor scooters, or light electric vehicles (LEV). Together, all those vehicles represent 12,4 billion euros. However, in 2021, this was ‘only’ €10 billion – an increase of 24% compared to the previous year. The figures come from Multiscope’s E-bike Monitor, […]
February 06, 2023
According to the Federal Public Services for Justice and Finance, 94% of fined traffic offenders pay a fine spontaneously. This means that 6% of infringers refuse to pay voluntarily. However, in the future, recalcitrant offenders risk seeing the amount disappear from their pay slips automatically. In March 2020, a new procedure was introduced. Since then, […]
February 06, 2023
Speed pedelecs, the high-speed e-bikes, remain extremely popular. After the record year 2022, the number of new registrations in January was 86,3% higher than in January last year. This means 1 341 new vehicles were registered in the past month. The wintery weather conditions had no decelerating effect on registrations. Also, second-hand speed pedelecs continue […]
February 03, 2023
The city of Amsterdam has decided to ban heavy coaches (+7,5 tons) from the city center as of 2024. The decision has been taken because the many buses – up to 450 a day – are a nuisance for inhabitants. The bus traffic causes congestion in the narrow streets of Amsterdam and creates unsafe situations […]
February 02, 2023
After the commissioning of a more powerful power supply, tunnel operator Getlink announced on Wednesday that up to 1 000 trains a day will eventually be able to use the Channel Tunnel. Previously, six trains could travel through the tunnel simultaneously in each direction. This could rise to eight in the future, including a new […]
February 02, 2023
Since 2020, the nine ministers of the Flemish government have covered 1 325 379 kilometers with their service cars. That’s the equivalent of driving around the earth 33 times. Zuhal Demir (N-VA), Minister for the Environment, who lives in the remote province of Limburg, beats them all with 308 840 km on the counter. In […]
February 01, 2023
The European Commission has selected ten pilot projects for new train connections between European cities. One of those pilot projects is a new night train, connecting Amsterdam, Brussels, and Barcelona, similar to European Sleeper’s earlier announced Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin line. The Commission will also support several other pilot projects to stimulate the expansion of international rail traffic […]
January 31, 2023
Flemish drivers are thick-headed. Despite earlier campaigns and an official ban, three out of ten Flemish motorists still use their cell phone, holding it in their hands or having it lying next to them while driving. A rather large group, one in three, uses it when the device sits in a fixed holder on the […]
January 31, 2023
In Flanders, anyone who has an electric car but no place to charge it (at home or nearby), can request a public charging station at a maximum of 250 meters from their home. Since September 1st, when the Flemish government introduced the proposal, almost a thousand applications have already been received to install a public […]
January 30, 2023
Last Saturday, public transport company De Lijn inaugurated its first new trams in Deurne (Antwerp, Belgium). From Monday, January 30th, the so-called ‘city liner’ (‘stadslijner’, in Dutch) will be used for the first time on line 10, connecting Wijnegem and Schoonselhof. The new trams are 30 meters long and can transport up to 187 passengers. […]
January 26, 2023
After 4,5 years of work, Amsterdam has inaugurated a new, underground bicycle shelter in front of the central station of Amsterdam. The secured bike racks, built under the water of the station square, offer parking space for almost 7 000 vehicles. Cyclists can park their bikes 24/7, the first 24 hours are free. Cyclists enter […]
January 25, 2023
The high-speed train operators Eurostar and Thalys merger has entered a new phase. The former exploits high-speed train connections between Belgium and the Netherlands, France, and Germany; the latter between the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the UK. By 2030, the group intends to transport 30 million passengers annually, or twice as many as in 2022. […]
January 24, 2023
Public transport company De Lijn has ordered the first 17 electric tram buses for the Spartacus project in Limburg. The decision was made in May last year to shelve the almost 18-year-old plans for a tram connection between Hasselt and Maastricht and replace it by electric buses to be delivered now by Dutch-Belgian bus builder […]
January 20, 2023
In 2022, car recycling organization Febelauto recuperated 120 tons of hybrid and electric vehicle batteries to be recycled. Three times more than the 37 tons of the previous year. “This year, we should arrive at about 400 tons because the volume is expected to triple each year,” explains Catherine Lenaerts, director of Febelauto. About 48% […]
January 19, 2023
Educam, the Belgian knowledge and training center for the automotive sector, wants to prepare the automotive industry for the advent of hydrogen vehicles. The organization, therefore, launched a brand new certification and training program focused on hydrogen-powered vehicles. The training will be given in Flanders and Wallonia. In addition, the organization has invested in hydrogen-ready […]
January 18, 2023
Belgian SMEs, companies of up to 250 employees, invest more rapidly in ‘green’ car fleets. In 2022, one in eight new commercial vehicles was fully electric. Most company cars (80%) are younger than five years, and since 2021, there are more new hybrid gasoline cars than diesel cars. The largest part of newly registered company […]
January 17, 2023
Consumer credits for new cars in 2022, amounting to around two billion euros, support the transition to environmentally friendly vehicles. That is the conclusion of BVK, the professional association for credit (Beroepsvereniging van het Krediet, BVK), and published by the federation of the financial sector Febelfin. Following the opening of the actual Brussels Motor Show, […]
January 17, 2023
Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen) wants more parcels delivered by bicycle, she said during a company visit to Cargo Velo, the all-round urban courier service operational in Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels. E-commerce is still booming, partly due to the corona crisis, but, unfortunately, most deliveries are still made by vans. However, according to experts, at […]
January 16, 2023
According to a recent survey by mobility federation Traxio, Belgians still associate the month of January with the Brussels Motor Show. Despite corona, the long delivery times, and the financial and energy crisis, Belgian drivers are still willing to invest in new or second-hand cars. Their purchase intention is high, especially in Brussels and Wallonia. […]
January 13, 2023
On Thursday, New Holland Agriculture, a global player in agricultural machinery, showed in Belgium its first tractor that runs on methane, a gas emitted from various anthropogenic (human-influenced) and natural sources, like cows, goats, and sheep. The vehicle was presented at Agriflanders, an agricultural fair in Flanders Expo (in Ghent, Belgium). Earlier, two new prototypes […]
January 12, 2023
According to mobility federation Traxio, the market for second-hand motorbikes experienced an exceptional end of the year. In November 2022, the number of registrations went up by 29,7%. In December, figures even increased to 117,7% (+7 235 units), bringing the annual total to 81 436 registrations (+0,9%). Why this peculiar final sprint? “This unusual year-end […]
January 11, 2023
New data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union reveal that 2022 was a year of climate extremes, with record-high temperatures and increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The year 2022 was the second warmest in recent history for Europe. Only 2020 was even warmer. The temperature did not reach absolute […]
January 10, 2023
According to the mobility organization Touring, Belgian drivers still don’t understand the principle of the emergency lane. Despite the information campaigns the authorities conducted, many road users still are unaware of the regulation introduced in Belgium two years ago. Forming an ’emergency lane’ to give priority vehicles a clear path through traffic jams became mandatory […]
January 10, 2023
Flanders launches a two-year pilot project allowing large bicycle trailers on public roads. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) hopes the experiment will contribute to the emission-free delivery of goods in city centers. Today, bicycle trailers may not be wider than one meter. However, during the pilot project, companies will be able to apply […]
