August 05, 2022
Lufthansa, led by its cargo arm, has achieved its first quarterly net profit in over two years. Europe’s leading air transport group expects to post an operating profit of at least 500 million euros in 2022. “The Lufthansa group is back in the green,” boss Carsten Spohr said in a statement. “It’s now a matter […]
August 04, 2022
The Brussels region has issued the building permit for the renovation and extension of the former postal sorting office at Brussels-Midi station. This was announced by Pascal Smet (one.brussels-Vooruit), State Secretary for Town Planning in Brussels. The Belgian rail company NMBS/SNCB will accommodate its headquarters and many other activities in the future building. A consortium […]
August 04, 2022
According to mobility federation Traxio, sales of second-hand cars in Belgium further declined in July after relatively better results in May. In July, 49 406 used cars were registered, a decrease of 14,4% (-8 292 units) and even a decline of 31,0% compared to 2020. Over the year’s first seven months, the second-hand market regressed […]
August 04, 2022
The German shared mobility platform Tier plans to introduce 1 500 shared e-bicycles in Brussels. The first vehicles are available since Wednesday, and the vehicle fleet will expand further in the coming weeks. Mid-February, micro-mobility provider Tier launched hundreds of new shared e-scooters in Brussels. In the meantime, the company has more than 4 000 […]
August 04, 2022
Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is not in favor of increasing the number of lanes on the Brussels Ring Road. She is reacting to the plans of the Flemish government presented last week. Van den Brandt does advocate more bicycle and tram connections to Brussels. According to her spokesperson, increasing the […]
August 03, 2022
Ghent will get a new bicycle bridge over the Tijarm, an unnavigable waterway in the province of East Flanders between Zwijnaarde and Merelbeke. The bridge will be a safe and comfortable connection between the industrial zone ‘Eiland Zwijnaarde’ and the Zwijnaardsesteenweg. Eiland Zwijnaarde is an industrial zone on the ‘island’ of Zwijnaarde with the same […]
August 02, 2022
The city of Louvain keeps its residents in suspense by announcing new information panels along the roads. The new LED screens should offer residents and visitors more detailed information about parking facilities and how to get there. But in the meantime, Monday’s press release only shows dead black screens. According to the Alderman for Mobility […]
August 01, 2022
In the first six months of the year, 21 856 passenger trains on the Belgian rail network were canceled due to staff shortage. That is more than in 2017. If the situation does not improve, the 2016 record will be broken. The most important culprit seems to be the national rail, NMBS/SNCB. The company struggles […]
August 01, 2022
The Flemish government has a design ready to reconstruct the northern part of the Brussels Ring Road. In Zaventem, the Ring Road will be given a parallel structure, where through traffic will be separated from local traffic. In Wemmel, a fourth lane will be added. In addition, the slip roads and exits will be relocated […]
July 29, 2022
Five years after the installation of the cameras in the tunnel, Brussels Mobility will restart discussions in September about the introduction of average speed checks in the Annie Cordy Tunnel, the former Leopold II tunnel, which is the longest in the country. In 2017, the then State Secretary for Traffic Safety, Bianca Debaets (CD&V), wanted […]
July 29, 2022
The Flemish government will review and adjust Flanders’ recommendations concerning bicycle infrastructure. That is what Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. The update is due to increased bicycle use and the growing popularity of other bicycle types like cargo bikes, speed pedelecs, or rickshaws. Today, the existing manual for bicycle facilities contains […]
July 28, 2022
Young people, especially those between 18 and 34 years old, drive less by car. As a result, the share of kilometers they traveled as car drivers has decreased from 55% in 2019 to 45% in 2022. This is evident from the mobility barometer of safety institute Vias, based on an online survey of a representative […]
July 28, 2022
This summer, the inner city of Hasselt will transform into a residential area with reduced traffic and a speed limit of 20 km/hour for cars and bicycles. Through traffic will be banned, but cyclists and pedestrians will be allowed to use the entire width of the public roads. In addition, parking places in the city […]
July 27, 2022
The Brussels government is to launch the procedure to protect the D’Ieteren Group’s building in the Rue du Mail/Maliestraat in Ixelles. D’Ieteren recently announced plans to renovate its headquarters and prepare them for the future. The Ixelles site covers 67 000 m² and has been owned by the D’Ieteren family since 1906. It has been […]
July 27, 2022
The French government has abolished the decree imposing technical control for motorbikes over 125 cc from 2023. President Emmanuel Macron is thus fulfilling his promise, even though the measure should be compulsory from this year according to a European directive. According to the French Minister for Transport, Clément Beaune, “other methods can effectively achieve the […]
July 27, 2022
In January this year, the Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), announced that the Brussels Region would get its own bicycle junction network. Now, the project is entering a new phase. The fieldwork is finished, and signposting is ready to begin. If all goes well, all road signs – some 2 000 […]
July 25, 2022
A Brussels resident had just obtained the 1 000 signatures needed to set up a participatory commission dedicated to the nuisances generated by motorized two-wheelers. “This shows that this is an important issue for the people of Brussels and that I am not the only one who suffers from these nuisances,” says initiator Marc Escudeiro […]
July 22, 2022
The number of low-emission zones (LEZs) in Europe has increased by 40% over the past three years. The statement comes from the European Clean Cities Campaign, a coalition of NGOs whose goal is to achieve emission-free mobility in major European cities by 2030. In Belgium, only Brussels has announced a complete phase-out of fossil fuels […]
July 22, 2022
Stellantis Group has launched an offer in France to rent a B-segment full electric car for 24 months for a fee starting as low as €150, after an initial downpayment of around €2 000 and targeted at people trading in an old ICE car. The ‘Electric As You Go’ program will likely be extended to […]
July 19, 2022
The Flemish government will invest an extra 45 million euros in cycling highways. The money comes from the Relay Fund and is shifted within the Copenhagen Fund from the municipalities to the five Flemish provinces, which put the same amount on the table. According to Open Vld ministers Lydia Peeters and Bart Somers, respectively responsible […]
July 18, 2022
Lufthansa more than doubled its turnover in the second quarter compared to last year. The German airline profited substantially from the increased demand for air travel as passengers rush to board planes again for business trips and their summer vacation, but the profit was also achieved because Lufthansa significantly increased the prices of its airline […]
July 18, 2022
The Antwerp-based private aircraft company Flyinggroup has ordered 50 e-VTOL VX4 airplanes from British Vertical Aerospace (Vertical), a pioneer in electric aviation. Delivery is expected by 2025. Flyinggroup, headquartered in Deurne (Antwerp), manages a fleet of more than 45 private planes in Europe and the Middle East, of which 15 are stationed in Antwerp. Now, […]
July 15, 2022
Brussels will permanently maintain all 40 kilometers of the initially ‘temporary corona bicycle paths’. This is reported by the French-language newspaper La Capital and confirmed by Brussels Mobility. Installed during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 crisis to limit the use of public transport, they will not be removed. Permit applications will be submitted in […]
July 15, 2022
Almost half (49,5%) of candidates in Brussels passed their practical license exam last year. More than half, therefore, failed. This is what La Dernière Heure reports. However, the figure is changing for the better: only 44% of Brussels motorists passed their test in 2019 and 45% in 2020. To put things in context: taking the […]
July 13, 2022
The recently voted parking plan of the Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), has to pool the available parking spaces in urban areas. By doing so, Van den Brandt is actually following a general tendency in a growing number of large European cities. Van den Brandt wants to see fewer cars in […]
July 13, 2022
Fuel prices are skyrocketing and many Belgian drivers adapt their driving habits. One out of three drivers reduces his speed on the highway, and one out of five even postpones his next refueling stop. That is what Vias, the traffic safety institute, discovered. Vias conducted two surveys and interrogated about 2 000 drivers to analyze […]
July 13, 2022
Speed pedelec manufacturer Stromer launches a new top model and an interesting leasing scheme. The relentless activity of the Swiss e-bike manufacturer seems a reflection of the healthy future of the bicycle market, despite current production and delivery problems. Stromer launches its new ST7 top model at the Eurobike fair in Frankfurt. At the same […]
July 12, 2022
Also in Belgium, Uber used dubious practices to gain a foothold, for example by exerting pressure on governments. This is evident from the revelations of the Uber Files by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), of which Belgian media such as Knack, De Tijd, and Le Soir are members. In France, it is the […]
July 12, 2022
Nearly two months after his re-election, the French opposition is summoning French president Emmanuel Macron to explain himself after the revelation by the press of privileged exchanges between Uber and Macron when he was at Bercy. The left-wing alliance Nupes wants a parliamentary commission of inquiry, while the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) is asking […]
July 12, 2022
Flemish public transport company De Lijn has decided to opt for the PSI eBus charging and depot management system from the German PSI Transcom. The PSI software package will control the charging processes of the electric buses and monitor all movements of the buses in De Lijn’s depots. The contract represents an amount of € […]
July 12, 2022
The Flemish government does not agree with the environmental impact statement about the noise nuisance of Brussels Airport. That is what the newspaper De Standaard wrote on Monday. The study was ordered in 2017 by then Minister of Mobility François Bellot (MR). The French consultancy agency Envisa finally suggested nine scenarios to spread the nuisance […]
July 12, 2022
Despite the resurgence in May, the second-hand motorbike market is falling on hard times. In the first six months of the year, 41 568 vehicles were registered, or a decrease of 10,6% compared to 2021 (46 471 registrations). Registrations of new vehicles decreased by 6,1% compared to last year. In June, 9 852 vehicles were […]
July 11, 2022
After a first pilot project, all cameras on the Flemish highways will be permanently operational as of the end of August. Anyone driving 129 km/hour or more will be caught and fined. There will no longer be any margin of tolerance. The measure should improve traffic safety. “129 km/hour will become the standard on the […]
July 11, 2022
The Brussels government has validated the first version of Good Living, the future bible of urban planning in the Brussels Region. Open spaces, urbanity, and liability are the three principles of Good Living, which will be the guiding principle for the transition of Brussels to a future-oriented city on a human scale. It foresees a […]
July 11, 2022
Since Friday, two new bridges over the Brussels Charleroi Canal have been officially inaugurated. On the border of Drogenbos and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, it is the Three Fountains Bridge (Drie Fonteinenbrug). In Halle, it is the Misia Bridge, formerly known as the Zuidbrug. Thanks to the new Three Fountains Bridge, a bridge made of 600 tons of […]
July 08, 2022
In Ghent, ‘Gentspoort’ was officially launched on Thursday. With this project, which you can translate as ‘Ghent tracks’, the Flemish government wants to offer an answer to some persistent mobility bottlenecks in and around the city. For example, there will be new tram lines, and the ring road will be partly relocated, including at the […]
July 08, 2022
The number of newly registered speed pedelecs increased spectacularly in the year’s first six months. Between January and June, 8 219 units were sold, an increase of 26,2%, and 1 709 units more than during the same period last year. In June alone, 1 706 of the popular vehicles were sold, 43,7% more than last […]
July 07, 2022
In total, 188 km of new cycle paths will be built in Belgium, costing 144,1 million euros. An extra 261,6 million euros will be spent on renovating 950 kilometers of tracks. This was announced by the Secretary of State in charge of Economic Recovery, Thomas Dermine (PS), on the occasion of the Tour de France’s […]
July 06, 2022
Over two months, more specifically from May through June, approximately 1 500 driving licenses were withdrawn from car drivers in Halle-Vilvoorde who used their phones while driving. The public prosecutor’s office reported this on Tuesday in a press release. “At the time of the action, all these drivers posed a real danger to themselves and […]
July 06, 2022
The Walloon government announced on Tuesday that it has approved the Wallonia Cycling Plan 2030, which aims to make cycling possible, safe, and normal for everyone. The plan, which results from consultation with numerous partners, including cyclists’ associations, is divided into four sections on which work must progress in parallel: governance, networks & infrastructure, service […]
July 05, 2022
Last month, consultancy firm Deloitte conducted a study asking consumers which mobility solution they favor. E-bikes emerged as the big winner, confirming their uprising trend boosted during the pandemic. While the analysis was performed in Germany, the increasing popularity of e-bikes all across the globe confirms its findings. E-bikes are the most frequently used electric […]
July 05, 2022
Peaking fuel prices in the Uk are triggering a wave of ‘go-slow protests’ on the nation’s highways. On Monday, the police warned about serious disruption throughout the day, and motorists were urged to stay at home where possible. Protesters created a rolling blockade along the M4, among others – the London-South Wales highway – at […]
July 05, 2022
Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants to make bicycle theft – almost 70 a day in Belgium – a priority for the police. A single national bicycle registration system will be set up so that the police can return a recovered bicycle to its owner more easily. That is what the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad […]
July 04, 2022
Public transport company De Lijn is going through a small revolution: the company will get more autonomy as of 2023. It will be free to put together its offer and define its fares. Until now, all fare changes had to be submitted to the Flemish government. At the same time, De Lijn’s partners will play […]
July 04, 2022
As in the rest of Europe, the Netherlands has long debated switching to pay-per-kilometer taxation to discourage car usage. Finally, the government of Rutte IV decided in favor of the new charge and sets an example for other European countries. A single rate for all drivelines will be deployed, and crossborder mileage will also be […]
July 04, 2022
The Brussels Region is taking additional measures for e-scooters, such as reducing the maximum speed to 8 km/hour in certain pedestrian zones. Brussels Mobility announced this in a press release on Friday. There will also be adapted parking or drop-off zones and prohibited zones with specific road signs. Parking on the pavement is allowed if […]
July 01, 2022
The Brussels Government has finalized the ‘Low-Emission Mobility Brussels’ roadmap with accompanying measures for gradually phasing out diesel and gasoline engines. In addition, the social support measures were also strengthened. The measures taken are also designed to respect the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement of the EU. 2030 is a turning point As previously […]
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 Dutch car-sharing company MyWheels merges with Amber, specialized in car-sharing for the business market. The merger should lead to a sharp increase in the number of kilometers driven per shared car. Both companies state this in a press release. The aim is to reduce drastically the impact of mobility, and in particular the problems […]
June 29, 2022
After car sharing, mobility player Cambio now also offers cargo bikes for rent in Brussels. The initiative is part of the regional Cairgo Bike project, which aims to make cargo bikes a fully-fledged alternative to cars and vans and which was financed with 4,7 million euros in European funds. The electric cargo bikes are now […]
June 28, 2022
The extension of the P3 ‘Holiday’ car park at Brussels Airport has been completed, providing 2 000 extra spaces, Interparking and the airport announced on Monday. The extension brings the total number of parking spaces available at Brussels Airport to 13 000. The extension is spread over ten floors, with two underground levels, and will […]
June 28, 2022
The Walloon government has reached an agreement on the new car taxation scheme that was already due for a certain time. Normally, the whole scheme should come into effect from 1 September 2023 onward and totally implemented by 2026. As well road tax and registration tax will be revised, the global ‘tax pressure’ should stay […]
June 27, 2022
The city of Antwerp introduced new regulations for shared e-scooters. From July 18th onward, ‘no go zones’, ‘no park zones’, and ‘slow-speed zones’ will be marked. Technology makes cheating impossible. For example, in a ‘no go zone’, the e-scooters will automatically reduce speed and come to a halt if you enter the area. The city […]
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 24, 2022
One in two Walloon motorists is driving too fast to go on holiday. This is shown in a survey by the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) published on Friday. The survey also shows that more than half of Walloon men and women will leave for other countries this summer, mainly by car. According to the […]
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 23, 2022
Micro-mobility platform Bolt is launching 900 e-bikes in Brussels. The Estonian company, launching e-bikes to celebrate its first anniversary on the Brussels market, states this in a press release. In time, Bolt wants to deploy 16 000 e-bikes across Europe to expand the range of micro-mobility available in cities. The company, the largest mobility platform […]
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 22, 2022
The Mobility Commission of the Brussels Parliament voted and approved – majority against the opposition – on Tuesday the new parking reform. The aim is to review the draft car parking ordinance – the last one goes back to 2009. Next, the text will move to the plenary. Finally, after a second lecture by the […]
