January 02, 2024
Taxi drivers at Brussels Airport in Zaventem think the mandatory language requirements are too strict, so they went on strike for two and a half hours last Friday. The Flemish government wants to impose an oral and written test of Dutch (level B1) on drivers from 1 July 2024. “The bar is far too high,” […]
January 02, 2024
European aircraft maker Airbus has a much better financial year than its US rival Boeing. In December alone, 500 orders were placed, accounting for a record 1 880 new aircraft orders for 2023. This makes Airbus the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer for the sixth time in a row, a position it owes mainly to its […]
January 02, 2024
From January 1st, 2025, the city center of The Hague will become a zero-emission zone. This means that vans and trucks driving in this area have to be emission-free – electric or running on hydrogen. The measure should improve air quality and reduce noise pollution, nitrogen deposition, and CO2 emissions in the city. The same […]
December 28, 2023
In 2023, the air quality significantly improved in Belgium’s biggest cities (Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, and Charleroi). According to figures from the Interregional Cell for the Environment (Ircel), Belgium is well on its way to achieving the recommended value of the World Health Organization (WHO). It showed the lowest nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions in […]
December 28, 2023
The Flemish Traffic Center, the watchdog of traffic jams in the most populated Belgian Region, which has been counting traffic to calculate congestion severity since 2011, is looking for ten extra traffic controllers on top of the 20 people currently working there. With congestion figures climbing to unprecedented heights, the Center is running out of […]
December 27, 2023
Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB wants to outsource the management of its 60 payable car parks to a commercial company. So writes the business newspaper L’Echo. Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of NMBS/SNCB, is reported to have said so in the federal parliament a few weeks ago when she came to the Parliamentary Committee on Mobility for […]
December 27, 2023
Last Friday, DATS 24, Colruyt Group’s fuel and energy provider, opened up two additional hydrogen filling stations in Belgium, one in Erpe-Mere and the other in Herve. The latter is also the first hydrogen station in Wallonia for passenger cars. In addition to the ones in Halle, Haasrode, Wilrijk, and Ollignies, DATS 24 now counts […]
December 26, 2023
Limburg will soon have a new cycling attraction called ‘Cycling Underground’. As the final plan was drafted, things suddenly seemed to be moving forward for the new tourist cycling project in Kanne/Riemst. Limburg is particularly popular among cyclists. In recent years, the province spared no trouble or expenses to offer tourists special bicycle routes. After […]
December 26, 2023
The Brussels government and the board of directors of the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB have signed the new 2024-2028 management agreement. The agreement provides for an 11,9% increase in supply so that MIVB/STIB can count 457 million passengers by 2028, or over a third more than 2022. Indexation of fares is provided, but for […]
December 26, 2023
The British multinational Shell has introduced a new charging structure. The company will charge blocking fees for drivers who leave their EV at a public charging station for more than four hours, even if the battery is not yet fully charged. The measure only applies to Bluecorner, EV Box, and Road charging points for now, […]
December 22, 2023
From January 1st, car buyers in Belgium will pay an additional 10 euros environmental contribution when buying a new car or van. This contribution will pay for the future recycling of the vehicle, reports Febelauto, the Belgian management body for both end-of-life vehicles and batteries from hybrids and EVs. Febelauto has been managing the recycling […]
December 21, 2023
The General Court of the European Union has annulled the billions in aid approved by the European Commission to French airline Air France-KLM during the coronavirus health crisis. According to the court, the EC “erred” at the time. France, the major shareholder of Air France, helped the airline in 2020 with a 4-billion-euro state guarantee […]
December 21, 2023
Shared mobility platforms Poppy and GreenMobility are withdrawing from several regional capitals. As of January 1st, 2024, the typical red Poppy cars will no longer be seen in Ghent, Leuven, and Mechelen. The GreenMobility vehicles, on the other hand, will disappear from the streets in Brussels and Ghent. D’Ieteren’s subsidiary Poppy was launched in Mechelen […]
December 21, 2023
Since Thursday, public transport in the southern French city of Montpellier has been free of charge. In France, there are already around 40 cities where buses and trams are free for residents. Still, with more than 500 000 inhabitants, Montpellier is the largest European metropolis offering such a free service. “This is a measure that […]
December 20, 2023
Lufthansa has ordered 80 new short- and medium-haul aircraft with Boeing and Airbus. These include 40 Airbus A220-300 aircraft and 40 Boeing 737-8 Max. The German airline group is also taking an option on 120 additional aircraft. The group itself calls it the most extensive fleet modernization in its history. The aircraft will be delivered […]
December 20, 2023
The liberalization of the European railroad market is continuing, which will also be at the expense of the services of NMBS/SNCB. So says Belgians railroad company’s CEO, Sophie Dutordoir, who warns of congestion on the track if additional international operators track trains through Brussels. “If two operators are added, ten public service trains will disappear […]
December 20, 2023
The city of Antwerp will adjust its low-emission zone (LEZ) regulations and postpone the next tightening of the standards from 2025 to 2026. The city will also take additional social measures and increase the number of day passes per year (from 8 to 12). By relaxing the rules, diesel cars with Euro 5 standard (or […]
December 20, 2023
If Ryanair’s share price continues to rise, top executive Michael O’Leary could land a bonus of as much as 100 million euros. That reports the British business newspaper Financial Times, based on a 2019 bonus plan for the Irishman. If Ryanair’s shares maintain a price of 21 euros for 28 consecutive days, then the super […]
December 19, 2023
The 2024-2028 management agreement between the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB and the Brussels Region will not happen now. The French-speaking PS socialists are reversing their course and opposing the indexation of preferential fares. However, the Brussels government, of which the PS is also part, approved it last week. A new attempt will be made […]
December 18, 2023
Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, wants to attract new rail operators. It has set aside a budget of 50 million euros for this purpose. With direct high-speed trains between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, Eurostar is currently the only operator for passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel. But that monopoly Eurostar has had […]
December 15, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron has launched his promised ‘social leasing’ system for electric cars at 100 euros monthly for those on the lowest incomes. In doing so, he is fulfilling an election campaign pledge that takes effect on January 1st. It would involve at least 20 000 to 25 000 deliveries in 2024, but after […]
December 14, 2023
Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has presented the new code of public roads. The current Belgian road code was about half a century old and outdated in some areas, hence the need for an update in the now rapidly changing road traffic in which there is, for example, 80% more cycling, said the minister. […]
December 14, 2023
The new tunnel under the river Scheldt – the masterpiece of the Oosterweel connection –is progressing well. Four of the eight tunnel parts will be ready within a few weeks. Meanwhile, construction workers are busy building the entrances and exits of the car and bicycle tunnels on both river banks. The eight tunnel elements are […]
December 13, 2023
By 2032, Brussels Airport’s noise impact would drop by 12% despite growth in passengers and cargo volumes. That’s according to the environmental impact report (MER) accompanying the new Brussels Airport environmental permit application. More modern aircraft making less noise and quieter landing techniques would decrease the nuisance. By the end of March, the Flemish government […]
December 13, 2023
Belgian battery manufacturer ABEE (Avesta Battery & Energy Engineering), with headquarters in Nivove, plans to invest 1,1 billion euros over the next five years in three sites in Bulgaria. Apart from a battery factory for producing a new generation of solid-phase lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry, there will also be an R&D center to […]
December 13, 2023
The Belgian company EnergyVision will invest 15 million euros over the next twelve months in installing approximately 150 fast-charging stations in Belgium “with no price difference with slow-charging stations”. Until recently, EnergyVision had ten fast-charging stations in Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent. The new fast-charging stations will be installed on the sites of more than sixty […]
December 12, 2023
After a break of almost a decade, the long-awaited night train connection between Brussels and Berlin is finally operational again. The first trip of the Nightjet train departed on Monday evening in Berlin and was waved goodbye by German Transport Minister Volker Wissing and the boss of Deutsche Bahn Richard Lutz. The journey took 13 […]
December 11, 2023
In November, almost 20% of Belgian trains were not punctual. This is one of the worst results in the past seven years, according to figures from railway infrastructure manager Infrabel. Nevertheless, from February, all NMBS/SNCB products will be 5,9% more expensive, including the prices of tickets and subscriptions. One in five trains (19,2%) of the […]
December 11, 2023
The market of the new speed pedelecs experienced a further delay in November, with -20,9% to 1 018 units, which is 269 less than in November last year. The persistently negative figures reduce the cumulative annual total over the first nine months to -9,9% below the previous year’s figure. Private individuals (-33,2%) and companies (-15,8%) […]
December 08, 2023
The temperature on Earth is rising more rapidly than previously thought due to increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have not been reached in 14 million years on Earth. This is what a group of scientists published on Thursday in the Science journal. The study results […]
December 08, 2023
Since the Brussels Capital Region introduced a low-emission zone (LEZ) in 2018, there has been a 30% reduction in nitrogen dioxide along Brussels’ main roads. Brussels Environment has also observed similar and more significant reductions for other pollutants. Air quality in Antwerp has also improved significantly over the past decade. However, traffic remains the primary […]
December 08, 2023
The four-year-old German LaneCharge project on inductive charging, has presented the results of its practical tests of this ‘pioneering inductive charging system. The proved to be successful. Launched back in 2019, together with industry partners, researchers at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts wanted to develop a fully functional inductive charging system, which was […]
December 08, 2023
Airlines expect to carry 4,7 billion passengers next year, a historic record dixit the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to the umbrella organization, the airline industry will also post a net profit of 25,7 billion dollars in 2024, a slight improvement on the 23,3 billion dollars the industry is most likely to post this […]
December 06, 2023
The Mechelen court finds Flemish public transport company De Lijn guilty of structural discrimination against people with disabilities. Four wheelchair users had gone to court after their complaints to De Lijn itself were unsuccessful. They will now each receive compensation of 650 euros. De Lijn is studying the verdict and is considering possible next steps. […]
December 06, 2023
Pilots of Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines won’t strike this month, as planned initially. On Tuesday, unions and the management agreed on three of the main demands of the pilots to release work pressure: 12 instead of 5 ‘joker days’, more compensation for weekend work, and extra rest time when staying on location abroad. After […]
December 06, 2023
Growth in the second-hand car market got another boost in November. Last month, 57 519 used cars were registered, 6,5% more than in 2022. The increase is 7,8% over the first eleven months of the year (46 231 units more than in 2022), but there is a deficit of 18 030 units compared to 2021. […]
December 06, 2023
The current (and re-elected) president of the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA), Luca de Meo, has called for European ‘Kei Cars’ as one of the solutions to boost electric car sales and solve acute urban mobility problems. De Meo did so in his speech at the ACEA headquarters in Brussels while presenting the lobbying group’s […]
December 05, 2023
Most rides on a Blue-bike, a bike-sharing project of which the Flemish public transport company De Lijn is the main shareholder, will become one euro more expensive from next year. This is because the concession from the Flemish government will disappear. Indeed, for each 24-hour ride, the Flemish government has reimbursed one euro. From 1 […]
December 01, 2023
Hyundai and Kia have presented a new wheel drive system called the Universal Wheel Drive System (‘Uni Wheel’ for short), designed for taxis, shuttle buses, and other special purpose vehicles of all sizes. The Uni Wheel creates extra space in electric vehicles by moving the reduction gear to the wheel hub. The Uni Wheel relocates […]
December 01, 2023
In Machelen, the new 710-meter-long bicycle and pedestrian bridge, the longest in Flanders, has been in place since Thursday. The new bridge over Leopold III Avenue between Machelen and Zaventem not only ensures a safe crossing but also forms a hitherto missing link in the route of the future Ring Cycle Path and connects to […]
November 30, 2023
Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB has ordered 36 electric buses from German manufacturer Daimler Buses. The order is part of a framework agreement for up to 80 standard low-floor buses. The first eCitaro-bus from that order should enter the fleet in early 2026. A new order for 14 additional articulated e-buses is also planned soon. […]
November 29, 2023
The first metro of the Grand Paris Express, a massive 15-year project that is set to revolutionize transport in the region around the French capital, rolled out in Paris on Tuesday. The new rapid transit lines should connect the periphery, or the Île-de-France region, to the capital and are expected to serve 2 million passengers […]
November 28, 2023
De Lijn will order up to 1 600 charging points to charge electric buses in its depots. The Flemish public transport company is placing the order with two suppliers: TM SPIE-Ekoenergetyka and ABB. De Lijn will purchase some 320 to 490 charging points in the first phase, representing an investment of 15,3 million euros. The […]
November 28, 2023
The F34 bicycle highway between Ostend and Zeebrugge (Belgium) is taking shape. It will connect Nieuwpoort and Knokke-Heist and bicycle traffic will be guided via a 4-meter wide and comfortable bicycle highway, seperated from motorized traffic. Cyclists will always have priority at intersections on this highway. In 2019, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, […]
November 27, 2023
Municipalities will soon be allowed to install fixed speed cameras and average speed checks in bicycle streets. The Flemish government has decided this, reports the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, among others. It is already happening in some Flemish municipalities. In the Bodukap police zone in the Antwerp region, for example, 22-speed pedelec users were recently cautioned […]
November 27, 2023
According to the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks (Fedris), the number of work accidents on the road has significantly increased compared to one year before. In 2022, Belgium registered almost 35 daily work-related road accidents, 17% more than in 2021, or 12 712. Most of those accidents occurred in Flanders – one-quarter in the province […]
November 27, 2023
Never have travelers in Belgium filed so many complaints about canceled or late trains. That was reported by the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Ombudsrail, the ombudsperson service for train passengers, already received a third more complaints from dissatisfied passengers in 2023 than last year, a record number. There are many more complaints. After all, travelers […]
November 24, 2023
Brussels Airlines and shuttle transport specialist Flibco are launching a collaboration to offer connections between Lille and eleven destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The bus service operated by Flibco between Lille and Brussels Airport in Zaventem will automatically be included in the air ticket. This is a pilot project that both companies hope to expand later. […]
November 24, 2023
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has chosen Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and the Traton Group, to develop two charging hubs at the Truck Parking Goordijk and Ketenis. Milence is developing Europe’s largest public charging network for all battery-electric heavy-duty trucks. Scheduled to open in May 2024, the hubs in the Antwerp […]
November 23, 2023
The speed limit on the Paris Ring Road will drop from 70 to 50 km/hour. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced this during the presentation of the capital’s new 2024-2030 climate plan. Moreover, a lane on the ring road will be reserved only for taxis, public transport, and carpooling. The new speed limit on the périphérique […]
November 23, 2023
D’Ieteren‘s bicycle division Lucien announces strengthening its position in the Belgian bicycle market by acquiring two renowned bicycle shops – Bike Planet Sport and Bike Planet City – in Malines (Mechelen). In Louvain, there will be a new store at the Diestsestraat 88. The two stores in Mechelen have built a strong reputation for offering […]
November 22, 2023
Seven Limburg municipalities with a ‘coal mine history’ join forces to build an innovative 70-km bicycle highway between Beringen (West) and Maasmechelen (East), via Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Zonhoven, Genk, and As. The total investment amounts to 13 million euros. The first section of the so-called ‘Kolenspoor’ (coal trail) to be realized will be the route between […]
November 22, 2023
Now that works on the Brussels Metro 3 have been delayed due to budget problems and the new line may not come into full service until 2038 or later, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is to investigate possible alternatives to increase the public transport offer on that planned line. So reports La […]
November 21, 2023
A first section of the Regional Express Network (RER) between Ottignies and the junction towards Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia has been put into service. The RER, or GAN in Dutch, is a suburban network in and around Brussels. The 2,5 km stretch consists of two central tracks for fast trains and two sidings for local trains. […]
November 21, 2023
A 70 km/hour speed limit will now apply on the middle or central lane on roads in Wallonia with markings for bicycle paths on both sides. So, reports Sudinfo and La Libre Belgique. The Walloon government’s decree, which sets the speed limit, was published in the Belgian Bulletin of Acts. The rule was already in […]
November 20, 2023
Anyone who has booked a flight with Brussels Airlines during the Christmas holidays should cross their fingers: cabin crew have issued an indefinite strike notice. When the strike will occur is not yet clear, but staff threatens to inconvenience during the Christmas holidays. The direct cause, according to the union, is the company’s failure to […]
November 17, 2023
Brupass and Brupass XL tickets are now also available digitally in the MIVB/STIB, NMBS/SNCB, and TEC apps, and from the beginning of 2024, also at De Lijn. They’re the first digital tickets that allow travelers to travel on the four public transport networks in Brussels and its outskirts. For MIVB/STIB, this is an additional novelty […]
November 15, 2023
The digital information screens in the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB stations are getting a new look. The new design allows more information during disrupted train traffic and increases readability. The new design can already be seen in Brussels station, and stations in the rest of the country will follow by the end of this […]
November 15, 2023
Lynk & Co subscribers in Europe lending their 01 plug-in hybrid to other users have earned themselves back some 850 000 euros in the last twelve months, sharing the car some 18 000 times or approximately for 1,5 million hours. By setting the rental price themselves, some of them even make a revenue of over […]
November 15, 2023
From 6 January, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn will start a new, significant step in the rollout of its primary accessibility network. Buses will be concentrated on lines with higher demand and thus drive less through neighborhoods. In the process, De Lijn will cut over 3 000 stops or about 17% of the total […]
