May 07, 2020
In April, the German car market fell back by 61,1%, a historic feat. The car industry asks for an aid program similar to the sales incentives given in the financial crisis of 2008-2009. But more and more economists, politicians, and environmentalists are questioning such an aid, primarily because it will retard the energetic and mobility […]
May 06, 2020
As discussions about government aids to Brussels Airlines were put on hold last week due to disagreements, the airline has decided to send a five-point summary of its activities to the authorities to justify its rescue. Brussels Airlines points out that its activities are essential for the Belgian economy with 50 000 direct and indirect […]
May 06, 2020
The German government is going to revitalize the national car industry by stimulating the demand for cars. Sales have collapsed during the corona crisis. The expected purchase premiums could become part of a comprehensive economic stimulus program. Details are still to be decided. That is the outcome of Tuesday’s ‘car summit’ between the German government […]
May 06, 2020
The federal parliamentary groups of CD&V, Open VLD, and Groen have found a ‘historic’ compromise for a coalition to reform tax benefits for company cars in Belgium, reserving them exclusively for zero-emission vehicles from 2025 on. According to financial newspaper De Tijd, which broke the news, they’re looking for an alternative majority with the socialist […]
May 05, 2020
A study published on Tuesday in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy estimates that a ‘green’ economic restart for the after-coronavirus period would be the most effective. 231 finance officials, bankers, and experts, plus 92 big French companies’ CEO wish to invest in renewable energy, more energy-efficient buildings, sustainable agriculture, and ‘clean’ R&D. As authorities […]
May 04, 2020
Car manufacturers have massively used illegal software to make their cars look cleaner. That’s the advisory conclusion of the advocate-general of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The Court usually follows this advice, so there could be new damage claims in the future. The car manufacturers have based themselves unjustified on an […]
May 04, 2020
The plans for an express tram between Willebroek and Brussels have been put on hold for the time being because proceedings are pending before the Council of State. In the meantime, an action group pleads to build a metro line instead of a tram connection. “It could easily connect to the Brussels mobility network.” Time […]
May 03, 2020
If you think that EVs are doing fewer kilometers, then think again. The year report 2019 of the Belgian non-profit organization Car-Pass shows that the heaviest users of Belgian roads are Tesla drivers. They drive 27 662 km/year on average, while Volvo riders are doing 22 425 km/year, and Audi drivers 21 390 km/year. The […]
April 30, 2020
Today, there are 10% more cyclists than in the pre-corona era, while the number of trucks and cars has halved. Since the reopening of the garden centers, the number of cars has increased slightly. But what if our mobility will never be the same as before? Cities are trying to maintain this temporary sustainability momentum […]
April 30, 2020
Twelve European Member States, including Belgium and the Netherlands, have asked the European Commission to temporarily abandon the obligation for airlines to reimburse passengers whose flights were canceled because of the corona crisis if those passengers so request. In this way, they want to give the aviation sector, which has been hit hard by the […]
April 29, 2020
Brussels Mobility Minister, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), has defined a mobility plan for the after-lockdown period. To respect social distancing, to leave public transport to those who require it to move, and to avoid congestion building up, citizens are called to walk and cycle. The Region is promptly constructing 40 km of cycling paths. […]
April 29, 2020
On Wednesday the 29th of April the European Commission will convene to design a strategy to save the next tourist summer season in Europe. The Commission seeks to draw protocols about the safe exploitation of tourist facilities all over the EU. The spokesman of Commission Chairwoman Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that the weekly […]
April 29, 2020
Despite all misery, the corona crisis also has a positive side: the number of traffic victims since the lockdown has dropped significantly. “Almost 70%,” according to an estimation by traffic safety institute Vias. The organization fears a possible sharp increase when the lockdown will be lifted. “Traffic will be heavier than before the lockdown.” 50 […]
April 29, 2020
On Tuesday, energy producer Eneco has published an open letter in several Belgian newspapers deploring it has to shut down its windmills. At the same time, nuclear power plants continue to work at maximum capacity. The corona crisis has an important side-effect: the collapsed demand for energy. That triggered the oil prices to go down. […]
April 29, 2020
The bicycle will become the ‘King of Kings’ in the city center of Tongeren. As of June, the entire inner city, together with the existing pedestrian zone, will become one large bicycle zone. The zone will cover 53 streets where cars are not allowed to overtake. It’s the third city in Belgium to do this; […]
April 28, 2020
The air pollution at street level hasn’t diminished during corona. It urges organizations like the German Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD) to ask for a withdrawal of the diesel-ban in German cities. According to the AvD, measurements at street level showed that such a ban had no effect whatsoever on air quality. There are practically no […]
April 28, 2020
Since 22 April, garages and tire centers in Belgium haven been allowed to make tire changes again. Nevertheless, the car sector is still waiting for a clear guideline on tire changes. The Crisis Center stresses in a reaction that everyone is allowed to change their tires, and not only people who make essential journeys with […]
April 27, 2020
While information about the government’s help to Brussels Airlines filtered last week, discussions are now on hold due to disagreements. Sources say that Belgium refuses to inject money directly into Lufthansa. Plus, it wants to enter Brussels Airlines’ capital to have decision-making ability. Last week, information about the government aids to Brussels Airlines leaked in […]
April 24, 2020
To avoid Brussels Airlines from being on the brink of bankruptcy in less than a month, the Belgian government agreed to provide it with a 290 million euro bridging loan. Furthermore, parent company Lufthansa will continue to invest in Brussels Airlines, but activity should be reduced by 25% by getting rid of ten airplanes. The […]
April 23, 2020
According to the new FQA of the national crisis center, garages and tire centers from now on are allowed to change winter tires, provided that the rules about social distancing are respected. Until now, they were only allowed to execute “urgent repairs”, meaning “all necessary repairs to guarantee the safety of the vehicle”. Now, it […]
April 23, 2020
The car industry is one of the sectors most hurt by the corona crisis. But even in a crisis like this, never experienced before, there are losers and big losers. Who are they, who is suffering a lot, who is limiting the damage? When we look at the March registrations in Europe, there were big […]
April 22, 2020
English/Indian car manufacturer Land Rover will accelerate the hybridization of its portfolio by offering two of its most popular models as PHEVs. The Land Rover Discovery Sport and the very popular Range Rover Evoque will share the same underpinnings. P300e The PHEV version of both models will be called P300e. Underneath there are some significant […]
April 22, 2020
On Tuesday, Walloon infrastructure manager, Sofico, announced that activity on the 17 major rehabilitation road works should restart step by step. Measures will be taken by subcontractors to respect social distancing rules. Ever since the COVID-19 virus outbreak, most road works have been put on hold as Belgians are asked to stay at home, and […]
April 21, 2020
All around the Brussels Region, municipalities are called to open up their streets and parks to pedestrians and cyclists to help social distancing. In the so-called ‘pentagon’, the inner city inside the ‘little ring road’, speed limits will be dropped to 20 km/h during the lockdown. Pedestrians and cyclists get absolute priority over motorized traffic […]
April 21, 2020
The German automobile group Volkswagen (VW) reached an ‘amicable settlement’ with some 200 000 VW owners in the dieselgate scandal in Germany. Compensation amounting to 620 million euros will be paid, VW announced on Monday. Compensation With this settlement, Volkswagen intends to end the dieselgate legal fight in Germany by paying out damages to the […]
April 20, 2020
The Belgian energy transition is delayed because the federal government is hesitating to decide. In principle, Belgium will have to close its nuclear power stations in 2025. To be able to do so, gas-fired power stations will have to be built, but the approvals are lacking. Gas-fired power stations According to Elia, the operator of […]
April 17, 2020
The European car manufacturing association, ACEA, has announced that car sales in Europe regressed by 55,1% in March. Main reason for it was the imposed closing of the dealerships all over Europe around the middle of the month because of the corona crisis. Some 567 000 new cars have been registered in Europe in March, […]
April 17, 2020
A gradual restarting of business after the lockdown will inevitably create problems. Sector federation Traxio, for example, is sounding the alarm bell. The whole specialized bike trade is suffering from unfair competition from supermarkets and do-it-yourself businesses. “Bike shops have to stay closed, but do-it-yourself businesses and supermarkets are open and sell bikes at a […]
April 17, 2020
The Brussels Government has approved the decision to impose a maximum speed limit of 30 km/hour throughout the territory of the Brussels Region from 1 January 2021. At the end of May, a definitive map will be published with the roads that are still an exception to the speed limit of the ‘City 30′ and […]
April 17, 2020
Antwerp is preparing the introduction of the first bicycle zone in the entire Antwerp region. “More than ten streets will be rearranged to give absolute priority to cyclists,” says Alderman of Mobility in Wijnegem, Tom Tachelet (Dorpspartij Durf!). ‘Bicycle streets’ Signco, a company from Willebroek, used a special painting process to apply white bicycle figures […]
April 16, 2020
The Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has announced that the number of road fatalities is on the rise again. In particular, the proportion of people in their twenties and thirties who died rose by 24 to 183%. Who are these victims? More than one-third of the road accident victims were drivers or passengers of […]
April 16, 2020
Engie Electrabel wants to keep its two youngest nuclear power plants, Doel 4 and Tihange 3, in operation beyond 2025, even as far as 2045. But this will require a decision before the end of the year. Engie asks Belgian Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmès (MR), to decide this year whether or not to postpone the […]
April 15, 2020
Insurance company Corona Direct (CD), offering an insurance premium based on the actual number of kilometers driven, foresees to pay back its clients up to 20% this year, a total of €4,1 million. Questions are raised whether other insurance customers are also entitled to such compensation now that many cars remain parked for two months […]
April 15, 2020
The Flemish government is going to relax the regulation to give investors of energy projects more time to finish their projects favorably. It is Flemish Minister of Energy, Zuhal Demir (N-VA), who took the initiative. She wants to avoid that Flanders will miss out on investments in the energy transition due to the corona crisis. […]
April 10, 2020
Many call upon governments to couple post-corona relaunch plans to ecological transition. A proposal from Denmark to attribute economic support in the spirit of the European Green Deal has gained the support of eight EU Member States. Belgium is not one of them since there is no consensus between the different regions. The cause lies […]
April 10, 2020
Several municipalities in the Netherlands are closing down popular routes for motorbikes and groups of cyclists to avoid ‘hordes’ of them in the Easter weekend. Last weekend, with temperatures rising above 20°C, lots of complaints were heard about pedestrians and recreational cyclists getting in a tight corner and excessive noise nuisance. “Pedestrians and recreational cyclists […]
April 10, 2020
The car industry is struggling and desperately seeking an exit out of this crisis. To achieve this, sh’s giving everything she gots, from the classical lobbying up to the production of urgently needed medical material. The European car manufacturers association ACEA announced yesterday that the production of 1,47 million cars has already been postponed since […]
April 09, 2020
A British High Court judge has cleared the way for yet another wave of jurisdictional claims against Volkswagen and possibly other manufacturers. The Dutch Diesel Emission Justice Foundation is determined to claim compensation for the 8,5 million Europeans who bought a frauded car from the VW Group. Dieselgate started in September 2015 in the States, […]
April 09, 2020
The European Commission wants to keep the outer borders of the European Union closed until May 15th. The measure is intended to prevent the further spreading of the coronavirus. National measure “The experience of the member states and other countries exposed to the pandemic shows that the measures against the virus should be valid for […]
April 08, 2020
Belgian ‘car supermarket’ Cardoen is delivering cars at its clients’ homes, despite the corona restrictions. Some 80 vehicles are already handed over this way. Cardoen expects that number to rise to 150 in the next weeks. The latter makes one’s eyebrows raise inquiringly, especially at the other major Belgian players in the automotive sector, wondering […]
April 08, 2020
Traxio, the professional association of the automobile trade, which also has a department dealing with two-wheeled vehicles, is asking the Belgian government to relax the rules on the sale and delivery of bicycles. The sector is up to its neck in difficulties because of stagnant sales and large stocks, it says in a press release. […]
April 08, 2020
Belgian air traffic controller, Skeyes, loses almost €100 million due to the corona shutdown of air traffic. It’s asking the government for help – the umpteenth victim in the aviation sector. Apart from repatriation and cargo flights, there is very little air traffic in Belgium. “90% of the planned volumes are not used,” says Skeyes […]
April 07, 2020
While the CO2 taxes Europe is imposing are getting higher every year, there seems to be a problem in the sector of green energy production. International agreements make clear that CO2 emissions have to be reduced and that sustainable energy sources have to be prioritized. But what about biomass energy plants and waste incineration? Researchers […]
April 07, 2020
With the coronavirus lockdown, the majority of public construction sites have been put on hold in Brussels. Authorities are now planning the restart schedule, and they are aiming to reduce the possible negative impact on the recovery of the economic activity. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the construction sector is idling. With difficulties to respect […]
April 07, 2020
In Belgium, Audi and Volvo would like to reopen their plants after the Easter holidays. BMW is holding on until the end of the month. Every car manufacturer is trying to plan a reopening as soon as possible, but many problems still have to be solved. Most concrete are the plans of Volvo Ghent. “We […]
April 07, 2020
On Monday, the technical inspection centers in Wallonia reopened partially for professional vehicles and only by appointment. Vehicle inspection centers were closed from 18 March in all three Belgian regions. Since March 25, the Flemish car inspection centers provide a limited service for commercial vehicles (+3,5 tons) and priority vehicles again. In Brussels, the technical […]
April 06, 2020
Brussels Mobility has adapted the coordination of traffic lights in the city in order to better respond to the lower traffic pressure. As a result of the corona restrictions, there is 55 to 75% less traffic on the major Brussels traffic axes. Earlier, it was reported that this caused more speeding in the city. This […]
April 06, 2020
On Friday, the French government published a ministerial decree that creates a legal framework for electric car conversions. ICE cars, buses, and trucks over five years old, and two and three-wheelers over three years old can now be retrofitted with an electric powertrain. The love for classic cars won’t die with the rise of electric […]
April 06, 2020
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announces 21 new average speed checks along regional roads in Flanders. The average speed checks, representing an investment of 3 million euros for about 55 km of regional roads, are being ordered now and will be installed by autumn 2020. In addition to the cameras of local […]
April 04, 2020
Like many other airlines, Brussels Airlines is severely affected by the corona crisis. The airline would have appealed to the Belgian authorities for at least 200 million euros in aid. According to some sources, the group of experts in charge of rescuing the large Belgian companies as a result of the COVID-19 crisis is also […]
April 03, 2020
Belgian mobility federations Febiac (car import), Traxio (car services), and Renta (leasing) ask the government in a joint-statement to allow the restart of a limited number of essential activities at the next evaluation of the COVID-19 measures. Activities like delivering new cars, technical control for registering used cars, or providing leased cars aren’t gathering masses […]
April 02, 2020
The Dutch Minister of Infrastructure, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (VVD), recently announced that clients of airline companies would get a voucher as compensation for a canceled flight due to the coronavirus. “That is to say, only when they agree with it,” says Adina Valean, the European Commissioner for Transport. “If a client does not agree with […]
March 31, 2020
The Brussels Minister in charge of Road Safety, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), asks motorists driving in Brussels not to exceed 30 km/hour. The rule already applies to traffic within the small ring road. Still, due to the measure related to the coronavirus, there is much less traffic on the roads of the capital, and […]
March 30, 2020
US President, Donald Trump, deploys the Defence Production Act in the fight against the coronavirus. Trump uses it against General Motors (GM) to ensure that the company can quickly reopen its plants to support the country. GM will now focus on the production of respiration equipment for hospitals. In another plant, mouth masks will be […]
March 27, 2020
The European car manufacturer association, ACEA, is preparing an official demand to postpone the stringent EU rules on CO2 emissions entering into force by the end of this year. But inside the organization, not all ducks are in a row yet, and there will also be fierce opposition from the EU Parliament. The car manufacturers […]
March 26, 2020
Since Wednesday, March 25, the Flemish car inspection centers will again provide a limited service for commercial vehicles (+3,5 tons) and priority vehicles. The reinspections of all vehicles will also be carried out again. However, the inspections are only possible by appointment. Four months postponement The duration of these measures depends on the evolution of […]
March 25, 2020
Although there is still a lot of truck traffic on our roads, these are not golden times for the transport sector. The stagnation of economic life because of the corona crisis has its consequences here too. “I fear a snowball effect from which the transport sector cannot escape,” says Lode Verkinderen. The director of the […]
March 25, 2020
The city of Antwerp is temporarily suspending the LEZ (low-emission zone) so that everyone will also be able to reach the hospitals now that public transport is gradually failing. Parking fees will also be temporarily abolished. In Antwerp, this is done retroactively from March 14 onward. In Ghent and Brussels, the LEZs will remain in […]
March 25, 2020
The Dutch Ministry of Waterways and Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat, RWS) is proud to announce that 300 of the 4 000 new traffic signs along the Dutch highways already are ‘bio-based’. They’re no longer made of environmentally unfriendly aluminum. They’re produced out of a waste product of rice. Sustainability Since the recent introduction of the 100 […]
March 24, 2020
The European Commission wants to introduce so-called ‘green lanes’ or priority lanes on the main traffic axes, where trucks can cross the border within 15 minutes. As a result of border controls, traffic jams in some places in Europe reached 40 km last weekend, with waiting times of up to 18 hours. “This must stop. […]
