November 06, 2017
“The Netherlands should have the first test section of the hyperloop in Europe, a vacuum tube through which passengers can travel at speeds up to 1.200 kph. That’s why the government should make a one-off investment.” This is the message sent today to The Hague by companies and the semi-public sector. Cost for the construction […]
November 06, 2017
From January 2018 on, the Flemish region will promote the usage of a ‘greener’ kind of asphalt, that reduces CO2 emissions by one third when applied. Ben Weyts (NV-A), Minister for Public Works, even wants to make the ‘green asphalt’ mandatory form 2021 on. The asphalt used is a new kind that only needs 110 […]
November 02, 2017
Dutch start up Circular Energy from Delft has worked out a concept to ‘harvest’ gas at sea on mobile gas power plants and produce electricity without CO2 emissions. The gas power plant can compliment wind farms when there is no wind and use their power lines to supply to the grid on the shore. A […]
October 31, 2017
The Belgian Walloon regional government has agreed last week on an ambitious plan to reduce car usage from 83 to 60% by 2030. Its Transport, Mobility and Road Safety Minister Carlo di Antonio (cdH) wants 4 out of 5 car trips in the future to be with at least two passengers and boost public transport […]
October 30, 2017
The stone marten is again on the up in Flanders. Side effect of this is that the number of cars with chewed through cables peaks. Although not scientifically proven yet, substances on the rubber coating of the cars wiring might be similar to the one stone martens use to mark their territory, so they attack […]
October 27, 2017
Environmental organization Greenpeace is preparing the summons for court to demand ‘representative measurements of air pollution’ from the Flemish and Walloon governments to know the impact the air quality really has to people’s health. On 11 September, after conducting its own NOx measurements in Antwerp showing far higher values than the official ones, Greenpeace sent […]
October 27, 2017
After numerous driver associations reached out to the government concerning its new and harsher tax plan for plug-in hybrid cars, the federal government reworked its copy. The new draft exempts cars such as the Toyota Prius PH or the Passat GTE, but its still reduced the tax advantage on what the government calls “fake hybrids” […]
October 27, 2017
Without drastic measures Belgium will never achieve the CO2 targets set by the Paris agreement. Kris Welkenhuysen, researcher at the Belgian Geological Service, thinks in theory two thirds of industrial CO2 emission could be stored underground in the former coal mines or under the North Sea. Welkenhuysen studied the matter for his PhD thesis in […]
October 26, 2017
More than two years after the dieselgate scandal, around 100,000 cars are still circulating in Belgium with the so-called cheating software. According to D’Ieteren, importer of the Volkswagen group’s brands, some 1 million letters have already been sent out. However, 30% of customers have not yet had an update carried out. This update is completely […]
October 26, 2017
Because of the persistent nuisance of cut-through traffic, the kilometer tax for trucks is to be extended to some district roads. This was confirmed by a reliable source to De Morgen. Minister of mobility Ben Weyts (NV-A) is expected to put the proposal up for approval in parliament on Thursday. The kilometer tax for trucks […]
October 26, 2017
On Wednesday East Belgian transport and logistics company Jost Group announced its order of 500 LNG-trucks (Liquified Natural Gas) at the Italian truck and bus maker Iveco. With these 500 Iveco Stralis NPs the transport company wants to convert 35 per cent of its fleet to LNG along with the intention to built up its […]
October 26, 2017
Belgian Federal Minister for Mobility, François Bellot (MR), is going to amend the law on the crossroads bank for vehicles, so that French and Dutch citizens can also be fined if they violate the rules of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ). At present, foreign drivers who violate the LEZ-legislation cannot be booked. Due to the […]
October 24, 2017
London mayor Sadiq Khan starts his fight against growing air pollution by making every pre-2006 car driving in the city pay a 10 pound (11,21 euro) ‘Toxicity-charge’, officially called ‘Emissions Surcharge’ in addition to the already existing congestion charge. In the near future, every new bus and taxi will have to be hybrid or electric […]
October 24, 2017
The Flemish government agreed on lowering the threshold for refunding road taxes to transport companies that (partly) use waterways or railway instead of sending trucks on the road. The required minimum of 220 transshipment moves (from truck to boat) is lowered to 100. “After an adjustment of the rules, that were so severe hardly any […]
October 23, 2017
Commercial free floating bike-sharing is on its way. Thirteen Flemish cities are approached by companies that intend to install those bicycles. To prevent the situation to derail like in Holland, measures have to be taken before they arrive, Ghent alderman Filip Watteuw (Groen) thinks. Unlike city-bikes such as Velo in Antwerp or Villo in Brussels, […]
