Another upswing in bicycle leasing in Belgium

June 20, 2025

More than 52,000 new leased bicycles were added in Belgium last year. That’s according to a market analysis by mobility federation Traxio. It makes 2024 an absolute record year. There are currently 166,796 leased bikes on the road in Belgium. Almost two-thirds of bikes are electric. Especially Flanders scores well Almost 10% of all bikes […]

Belgium nears a U-turn on plug-in hybrid tax break under EU pressure

June 20, 2025

The Belgian Arizona government appears increasingly cornered over its controversial attempt to revive tax breaks for plug-in hybrid vehicles in corporate fleets. As it becomes clear that the proposed measures likely breach earlier commitments Belgium made under the EU’s post-COVID-19 recovery programme, the penalty for the revived incentive could be costly. Not a favorable outlook […]

Trump reignited war on EVs: a bitter legal clash with California (update)

June 19, 2025

In an unprecedented attempt to unravel years of climate policy, US President Donald Trump has launched a renewed offensive against electric vehicle mandates and state-level emissions rules. His move sets the stage for a bitter legal clash with clean car advocate California and its allies. On top of that, the two Chambers of Congress have […]

Belgian transport union launches truckers hotline in 21 languages

June 19, 2025

The Belgian socialist transport trade union BTB-ABVV is launching a multilingual hotline for truckers. They can go there in 21 languages to ask questions about their rights or to report abuse or malpractice. “Every driver deserves a correct wage, dignified working conditions, and access to help, regardless of nationality or employer,” BTB-ABVV states. “The hotline […]

€76 million of EU’s recovery fund money goes to Belgian railroad

June 17, 2025

The Belgian government is allocating over 76 million euros from the European Recovery Fund to rail. With just under 70 million euros, railroad network operator Infrabel will get the lion’s share of the envelope. Among other things, the money will be used for the electrification of the network, while stations will also be upgraded with […]

Air traffic controller Skeyes launches platform to map drone flights

June 17, 2025

The Belgian air traffic controller Skeyes has developed a digital platform that publishes drone flight data in real-time. The platform was officially certified on Monday by the Federal Public Service Mobility at the Skeyes site in Steenokkerzeel (Belgium). It marks a new step toward an airspace where both drones and manned aircraft can fly safely. […]

Brussels’ MIVB/STIB goes for 300 additional new e-buses

June 17, 2025

According to CEO Brieuc de Meeûs, the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB will launch a tender next week to order 300 new all-electric buses. This is stated in several media outlets, including Le Soir and Bruzz. The plan is to deploy the new buses in 2028 and 2029. Some 450 fully electric MIVB/STIB buses are […]

Flanders to become largest shareholder of Brussels Airport

June 16, 2025

Flanders will become the new largest shareholder of Brussels Airport. Through its investment company PMV, it will invest 2,77 billion euros in the airport located in Flemish Zaventem, acquiring a 39% stake in the airport operator. “We want to be in the cockpit when it comes to the future of our airport. If we don’t […]

Lufthansa reports superb figures in terms of punctuality in Germany

June 13, 2025

More than 80% of Lufthansa’s flights arrived on time at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs this year. It provides the best punctuality figures in ten years for the German national airline. Yet, Lufthansa still faces several challenges to ensure punctuality. An increasing number of drone sightings and storms hamper operations, while a lack of technical […]

Colruyt switches its truck fleet to HVO100 biodiesel ‘for the time being’

June 13, 2025

Supermarket chain Colruyt is going to switch its current fleet of diesel trucks to HVO100 biodiesel – 100% Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, which is made entirely from biomass. The HVO100 diesel reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel and fits into existing diesel engines without technical modifications. It is yet another transitional measure […]

Genk’s Port of Limburg launches unmanned electric container rivercraft

June 13, 2025

On Tuesday, June 10th, the new Port of Limburg container terminal on the former Ford site in Genk was inaugurated. As a satellite location outside the busy seaports, the terminal offers an efficient container transport solution. The container terminal is strategically located on the Albert Canal, with connections via the highways E313 and E314. By […]

290 extra e-buses for De Lijn, fifty ‘made in Belgium’

June 13, 2025

After a year of dragging its feet on greening its fleet, the Flemish public transport company now seems to be reaching full cruising speed in terms of curbing its CO2. On top of the 230 new buses currently being delivered, De Lijn is ordering another 290 electric buses. This investment of 185 million euros aligns […]

Record number of rides for Walloon public transport TEC

June 12, 2025

The Walloon public transport company TEC carried out 155.4 million rides last year, 146.4 million of which were in scheduled services. That’s an increase of 4 million or 2,78% over 2023. Interestingly, no figures are yet available on the number of travelers in 2024; for 2023, it reported 151.6 million travelers. But it does state […]

UHasselt experiments with digital test garden to improve mobility

June 12, 2025

Hasselt University (UHasselt) and its project partners, Cegeka, OCW, Vlawebo, and Embuild Limburg, are investigating how innovative technologies can ensure better roads, safer traffic, and more sustainable mobility. They experiment with digital solutions in real-life situations, in an innovative test garden. The pilot project will use various locations in Limburg as test areas. Digital innovations “The […]

Uber cabs unleashed in Belgian coastal cities

June 12, 2025

Cab app Uber is now also offering its services in several Belgian coastal cities. “With this launch, the Uber app is available in all major coastal cities, just in time for the summer season,” the American company said in a press release. “By offering more accessible and reliable ride options, we aim to reduce parking […]

NMBS/SNCB: EU’s most bike-friendly rail company but disastrous for disabled

June 11, 2025

The European Federation of Bicycle Associations has named the Belgian railroad company NMBS/SNCB, along with the Swiss railroad company SBB, as the continent’s most bicycle-friendly rail companies. However, the Cyclists’ Union continues to find accessibility problematic, a point that is also apparent when examining the state of Flemish stations from the perspective of a person […]

Dutch report shows clear cost advantage electric versus ICE moped

June 11, 2025

A new report commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) clearly shows the cost advantage of a new electric moped or scooter over its sibling with an internal combustion engine (ICE). In the Netherlands, all new light mopeds sold have already had to be electric since this year. Users of an […]

Frankfurt and Geneva to become new Eurostar destinations

June 10, 2025

Eurostar plans to run direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva starting in 2030. Both train journeys would take some five hours. The high-speed train operator also plans to invest heavily in its fleet. The rail company will invest some 2 billion euros to boost the number of trains by 30%. Pushed by competition […]

E-scooter safety: Antwerp emergency doctors want mandatory helmet

June 10, 2025

The Antwerp hospital umbrella ‘Hospitaal aan de Stroom’ (ZAS) receives an emergency patient every eight hours due to an accident involving an e-scooter. In half of the cases, this led to an inability to work. Emergency doctors as well as the clinic and the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Studies (VSV) are asking the government to […]

Compensation for EU air passengers only after 4 instead of 3 hours delay

June 06, 2025

European transport ministers propose that air passengers will now be entitled to compensation only for flight delays of four hours or more. European legislation currently provides for compensation of three hours or more of delay if the airline is at fault. However, the proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and the European Council. […]

Volvo’s AI-powered seatbelt knows who you are

June 06, 2025

Volvo’s name remains virtually interchangeable with automotive safety, and once again, the company attempts to push the boundaries of protection for road users. Its latest innovation? An artificial intelligence-powered seatbelt that promises to adapt to every driver and passenger. It can evolve through software updates (OTA) long after the car is sold. The new “multi-adaptive […]

De Lijn breaks unflattering record: 244,000 rides canceled

June 06, 2025

Flemish public transport company De Lijn had to cancel 244,000 journeys last year. Once again, these are unflattering figures for De Lijn, which also received a lot of criticism last year during the rollout of its new plan for basic accessibility. According to MP Amina Vandenheuvel (PVDA), who requested the figures from Flemish Minister of […]

BYD and Ayvens extend EV leasing offer to Belgium and Luxembourg

June 06, 2025

BYD has launched its full-service leasing offer in Belgium and Luxembourg, marking the latest phase of the Chinese electric vehicle giant’s expansion across Europe in partnership with mobility provider Ayvens. The rollout, branded BYD Lease, is the first formal result of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two companies signed last year to accelerate the […]

Average speed checks in Limburg reduce accidents by 38%

June 05, 2025

On Limburg municipal roads where average speed checks were introduced, the number of traffic accidents fell by an average of 38% compared to the number of accidents on comparable roads without section controls. This emerges from an analysis by UHasselt researchers reported by the newspaper Het Belang van Limburg, among others. According to the researchers, […]

EU urges Belgium to stop subsidizing fossil fuels

June 05, 2025

The European Commission is calling on the Belgian government to thoroughly cut subsidies for fossil fuels. It states this in its annual socio-economic recommendations to Belgium. The Commission also regrets that there are no plans to phase out the subsidies before 2030. Such a measure could both boost the greening of transportation and buildings, as […]

Wallonia to analyze bicycle traffic with sensors

June 04, 2025

As in Flanders and Brussels, Wallonia now also has a network of counting points to monitor the number of cyclists. On the website cyclable.wallonie.be, the 159 counting points for both cyclists and pedestrians can be consulted. With this initiative, the region aims to refine its cycling policy, says Walloon Mobility Minister François Desquesnes (Les Engagés). […]

Bpost to halt service to cancel Belgian license plates

June 04, 2025

From August, you can no longer go to a bpost post office or post point in Belgium to cancel a license plate. From then on, the license plate must be sent to the Vehicle Registration Service (DIV) or handed in in Brussels. Bpost “takes note” of the decision of the FPS Mobility. It also specifies […]

IATA: fleet aging, fuel prices, and aircraft shortages threaten airline progress

June 03, 2025

Airlines have become slightly less optimistic about 2025. They now expect to carry just under five billion passengers, down from an earlier forecast of 5.22 billion, and generate $979 billion in revenue instead of the previously projected $1,000 billion. This update was shared by IATA, the global airline industry association, during its annual general meeting […]

London overhauls Congestion Charge: electric vehicles lose full exemption

June 03, 2025

Electric vehicle drivers will soon have to pay to enter central London, as part of Transport for London’s (TfL) plans to revise the Congestion Charge. The move has divided campaigners, business groups, and clean air advocates, but adds to a broader trend as cities are readressing their clean air policies. The overhaul doesn’t affect the […]

Brussels tries ‘Kiss & Cycle’ to tame the school run

June 03, 2025

Brussels Mobility is launching a pilot project in Forest to test a dedicated “Kiss & Cycle” zone for parents dropping their children off at school using cargo bikes, long tails, trailer bikes, or other exceptionally large bicycles. The special strip aims to reduce the chaos often seen on sidewalks and streets during school drop-off times, […]

Belgian EV dream Addax Motors files for bankruptcy

June 02, 2025

Once hailed as a beacon of Belgian innovation and green industrial ambition, Addax Motors — the only homegrown manufacturer of electric vans in the country — has filed for bankruptcy. The announcement, which puts 40 jobs at risk, brings a sudden halt to a bold experiment in sustainable manufacturing that began with lofty goals and […]

First section of the Oosterweel Tunnel arrived in Antwerp

June 02, 2025

The first tunnel element for the new Scheldt Tunnel, which left Zeebrugge on Friday, arrived on Sunday in the port of Antwerp. The 160-meter-long, 42-meter-wide, and 60,000-ton colossus made a journey of more than 100 kilometers across the North Sea and the Scheldt, floated by four tugs and a pusher. It now remains “parked” in […]

IATA sounds alarm over aviation decarbonization targets

June 02, 2025

The airline industry’s ambition to move to zero emissions by 2050 is in jeopardy. This was stated by IATA, the global airline umbrella organization, at a summit in New Delhi, India, to discuss the state of the industry. The aviation sector currently produces approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions; however, due to climate-skeptic policies, including […]

Zone 30 in Brussels? Fewer accidents and less speeding

May 29, 2025

Almost five years after the introduction of the general 30 kph zone in the Brussels Capital Region, it is abundantly clear that the introduction of that plan was a good idea. According to Brussels Mobility, there are fewer serious accidents and fatalities, and the introduction of Zone 30 also does not lead to longer travel […]

Dutch railroads abolishes sizeable portion of 1st class on Sprinters

May 27, 2025

The Dutch railroad company NS is going to remove first class in about half of all Sprinter trains to create additional second-class seats. A total of 3,580 additional second-class seats would be involved. According to NS, first class in the sprinter, a train for short travel distances used for stopping services, is only about 10% […]

T&E: ‘Social leasing could provide affordable EVs’

May 26, 2025

Up to 3 million households on low or modest incomes in Europe’s five largest countries (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland) could switch to electric cars by 2032 thanks to social leasing, according to an analysis by T&E based on data from the Öko-Institut. This scheme, which allows affordable electric vehicles under €25,000 to be […]

Renationalization of regional British railway company SWR ends in embarrassment

May 26, 2025

As of yesterday, the British South Western Railway (SWR), which serves more than 200 stations in southern England, is once again in government hands. It is, in fact, the first train company to be nationalized under Labour. The Starmer government called the renationalization of British Rail, which was privatized in 1990, a “new era for […]

Fleming increasingly chooses bicycle for transport, but car remains king

May 25, 2025

The bicycle continues gaining popularity in Flanders: 18,5% of Flemish travel by (electric) bicycle. In other words, never has there been so much cycling in Flanders. This is according to the Flemish government’s seventh study on travel behavior in Flanders. By comparison, in the Netherlands, 27% of journeys are made by bicycle. Still, the car […]

Walloon’s TEC also goes electric

May 23, 2025

The Walloon public transport company TEC has put the first full electric bus into service. This happened in Liège. The bus in question is a Mercedes-Benz Citaro. The ambition is to be fully electric by 2045. “With this first 100% e-bus, TEC opens a new chapter in its history: that of a cleaner, quieter and […]

Fiat Tris revives Ape as electric workhorse, but Europe must wait

May 23, 2025

Fiat has unveiled the Tris, its first three-wheeled electric commercial vehicle. It is aimed at affordable, low-emission transport in dense urban areas. Designed for Africa and the Middle East, the compact EV blends Italian design with pragmatic utility. It is a modern take on the nostalgic Ape. After the Topolino, a rebadged Citroën Ami, Fiat […]

LEZ fines in Brussels almost halved, citizen’s associations go to Court against postponement

May 22, 2025

Last year, 16,403 fines were issued in the Brussels region for motorists who entered the low-emission zone (LEZ) with an overly polluting car. That’s almost a halving from the record year of 2023, when 29,643 drivers were fined. Meanwhile, several citizens’ associations have started proceedings at the Constitutional Court to annul the two-year postponement of […]

Many Belgians don’t know the rules for e-scooters

May 21, 2025

Three years after the introduction of stricter rules for e-scooters, many Belgians still do not know the most important rules. This emerges from a new representative survey by the traffic institute Vias. For example, 44% of those surveyed do not know that you must be at least 16 years old to drive an e-scooter. The […]

France’s white gold could bring hydrogen mobility back on the map

May 20, 2025

The groundbreaking hydrogen discovery in northeastern France last year is reigniting interest in a long-overlooked source of clean energy—natural hydrogen. At a moment when the bets on hydrogen for transportation are severely off the table, scientists have started mapping vast amounts of mineable hydrogen and laid out the challenges for exploitation methods. Tucked beneath the […]

Antwerp port has premiere with Europe’s first e-tug

May 20, 2025

Since yesterday, the Volta 1, the first electric tug in Europe, has been sailing in the Antwerp port area. With the commissioning of Volta 1, the port is taking another step towards greening. In the long term, the port wants no tugboats to run on diesel fuel anymore because diesel still causes a lot of […]

Van Mossel unveils Europe’s largest MG showroom

May 20, 2025

Despite the EU’s stringent import duties, MG’s export ambitions haven’t withered. Last week, Europe’s number one Chinese brand opened its largest brand store to date in Roermond, the Netherlands. The flagship showroom is designed to anchor the brand’s identity against the backdrop of shifting consumer priorities. The new site, developed in partnership with Dutch dealership […]

Airline tickets prices keep rising

May 19, 2025

Airline ticket prices have risen sharply over the past few years, and the trend is not over yet. According to the Belgian statistics bureau Statbel, the average cost of tickets rose by 11,1% in April. That makes you pay as much as 71% more for a plane ticket today than you did 20 years ago, […]

Number of NMBS/SNCB fare dodgers explodes

May 19, 2025

The number of fare dodgers at the Belgian public transport company NMBS/SNCB is rising. Last year, nearly 700,000 passengers without tickets were caught red-handed at the railroad company. Sudinfo newspapers have reported the news. This is a remarkable 40% increase compared to 2023, some 200,000 more than two years ago. Impact of tens of millions […]

Autonomous car specialist Waymo recalls more than 1,200 vehicles in the U.S.

May 16, 2025

Waymo has recalled 1,212 self-driving vehicles in the U.S. following minor collisions with fixed roadside objects such as gates and chains. That is the majority of the company’s fleet. Strangely, the issue seems to have already been fixed. The recall is apparently due to software limitations that caused minor collisions with roadside objects such as […]

Bus company BlaBlaCar now also sells train tickets in France

May 16, 2025

French Bus company BlaBlaCar now offers train tickets on its website and app in addition to its bus and carpool offers. The service is in direct competition with SNCF Connect, the official booking platform of French railroads SNCF, and Trainline, an independent, commercial ticket seller offering tickets from multiple rail companies in Europe, including SNCF. […]

Two new smart energy tariffs play into EV owner’s hands

May 15, 2025

Smart energy tariffs are becoming increasingly popular for their flexibility and potential to save costs. Smappee, an award-winning tech company from Kortrijk, is also capitalizing on that market trend by launching a virtual battery. In this service, solar panel owners can stockpile their unused power as a credit that allows them to charge their EV […]

New CEO for Antwerp Airport and Ostend

May 14, 2025

The Belgian Nathan De Valck will be the new CEO of Deurne and Oostende airports. So reports the Gazet van Antwerpen. De Valck will start as the top executive there on June 16th. De Valck is currently with the air cargo company Worldwide Flight Services for the airports of Brussels and Liège. The French company […]

Statutory civil servants at Belgian rail will disappear

May 14, 2025

From January 2028, the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB will no longer conduct statutory recruitments. This is stated in the preliminary agreement that the railroad unions ACOD Spoor, ACV-Transcom, and VSOA Spoor reached with Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés). From now on, new employees will be recruited by contract, which will eventually lead […]

Belgian permanent driver’s license can now be applied for online

May 14, 2025

Good news for future drivers: all applications for a category B driver’s licence—including the definitive driver’s licence—can now be made online. The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport announced this on Tuesday. Applications are processed via the BelDrive online platform. The initiative results from a collaboration between the Belgian authorities to provide a user-friendly and reliable […]

UK’s Motability Operations demos prototype of wheelchair-friendly EV

May 13, 2025

Motability Operations, the UK’s largest car leasing company, has presented a wheelchair-accessible electric demonstration vehicle to encourage manufacturers to ensure that wheelchair users are also included in the transition to EVs. Plans to market such an electric wheelchair-accessible vehicle (eWAV) are not yet concrete. But in cooperation with South Korean auto giant Kia, Motability Operations […]

Copenhagen to reward environmentally conscious tourists

May 13, 2025

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, wants to raise tourists’ awareness of the need to travel more sustainably. This summer, the city will again use generous incentives to encourage guests to travel and sightsee more sustainably. In response to the climate crisis and general world overtourism, last year’s CopenPay campaign will be extended with more discount offers and […]

Amsterdam pilots smart EV charging to cut grid pressure

May 12, 2025

Amsterdam has launched a six-month trial of a smart charging scheme that aims to relieve pressure on its electricity grid while helping electric vehicle (EV) drivers cut their charging costs. The programme began in March, as cities across Europe grapple with the twin challenges of electrification and ageing power infrastructure. The Dutch capital is working […]

British Airways and Iberia order new planes en masse

May 12, 2025

IAG, the group behind British Airways and Iberia, is expanding its fleet with 71 new aircraft. The orders are neatly divided between Boeing, an American manufacturer, and its European rival, Airbus. The order involves more than 20 billion dollars. The planes would be delivered between 2028 and 2033. IAD did not release how much specifically […]

Flanders: Five accidents with injuries during roadworks every week

May 09, 2025

According to the latest accident figures, 266 severe accidents with injuries occur annually in Flanders during road works on regional roads and highways–an average of five accidents at a construction site every week. Six of them are fatal. Most accidents happen in traffic jams before the construction sites or when driving past them. The ‘Rij […]

CAF order for De Lijn withheld by Minister

May 09, 2025

Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) wants the public transport company De Lijn to work out a new framework agreement for a planned order of some 30 streetcars for Antwerp. The order is with Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). The price would suddenly be 1.5 times higher, and the […]

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