May 02, 2023
Traffic fines are going up by 10% in the Netherlands. The increase in penalties will probably go into effect on January 1. The Ministry of Justice and Security must contribute to covering the government deficit and thus does so by increasing traffic fines. All departments, except Defense, must contribute to balancing the Dutch budget. For […]
May 02, 2023
Wallonia is finally delivering its car tax reform after much bickering. It will take effect from July 20th and apply only to registration tax (TMC), the tax that must be paid when a new vehicle is purchased and thus registered before it’s allowed on the street. The annual circulation tax will remain unchanged, but the […]
May 02, 2023
Parking in Antwerp’s historic city center will be mainly reserved for residents and permit holders from August 1st. Visitors will have to go to parking buildings and underground parking garages or park-and-ride zones, often situated at the edge of the city. Never before has Antwerp taken such a drastic measure to discourage motorists from entering […]
May 02, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has decided to give its users a choice to pay per kilometer or minute. Until now, the mobility provider only offered a price per minute. Now it is also possible to choose to pay per kilometer. The new formula, with a well-thought-out rate of 0,95 euro/km, reduces the stress […]
May 02, 2023
In the first quarter of 2023, 72,8 million travelers used the buses and streetcars of the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. That is an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year. De Lijn will also equip all its buses with 3D cameras to count more accurately. Passenger numbers at De Lijn […]
April 28, 2023
A bicycle bridge over the Haachtsesteenweg (N21) has been inaugurated in the Flemish Brabant town of Steenokkerzeel. The bridge is part of the bicycle highway F214, which connects the center of Vilvoorde with Brucargo, the cargo zone of Brussels Airport. “Thanks to the bridge, hundreds of airport employees will be able to get to work […]
April 28, 2023
In Flanders, speed pedelecs are only allowed on towpaths being part of a bicycle highway. However, according to the new policy vision on towpaths, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters Open Vld) has agreed with the Flemish Waterway (Vlaamse Waterweg), those fast-riding e-bikes will get access to all towpaths in Flanders, provided they respect the maximum […]
April 27, 2023
The latest study from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals a significant jump in the adoption of electric cars around the globe. In a year-on-year comparison, the share has risen from 9% in 2021 to 14% in 2022, a new record. Expectations for this year are a further rise of 35%. In its yearly ‘Global […]
April 27, 2023
Last year, for the first time since its existence, the ombudsperson office for train passengers reported more complaints about international train traffic than domestic traffic. That is what the 2022 annual report of Ombudsrail indicates. In 2022, Ombudsrail received 3 395 files for which it is responsible, compared to 2 665 one year before. Almost […]
April 27, 2023
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has introduced a new generation of tram vehicles. The first TNG vehicle was deployed on the northern section of line 51, between Brussels South Station and the Stadion stop at the King Boudewijn Stadium. The TNG, for ‘Tram New Generation’, is intended to strengthen the tram offer in Brussels. Over […]
April 27, 2023
On Wednesday, the Dutch government unveiled a €28 billion climate plan to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% (or even 60%) by 2030. The plan includes 120 different proposals. For example, in the car sector, new EVs will lose part of their subsidies; second-hand EVs, on the contrary, will get €600 million in subsidies, while €90 […]
April 26, 2023
In Kortrijk, Belgian’s public transport company De Lijn, in collaboration with the city and the police, has introduced a bus ban for someone who caused a nuisance on a bus. It is the first time in Flanders that this new type of place ban has been applied. The measure means that the person in question […]
April 25, 2023
Agents of Securail, the security service of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB, had to intervene 32 000 times last year. That is an average of almost 90 interventions per day. This is reported by the newspaper La Dernière Heure. NMBS/SNCB also plans to recruit 150 new staff for its Securail security service this year. Recruitment is […]
April 24, 2023
Last week it already became known that night trains would be available in the Brussels region until two in the morning. At a more detailed presentation Friday of the NMBS/SNCB global 2023-2026 transport plan, more details became known for the province of Flemish Brabant. Apart from more trains at weekends and on Friday and Saturday […]
April 21, 2023
Starting in June, anyone who wants can participate via an app in the ongoing initiatives that Belgian railroad company NMBS/SNCB is trying out through its Innovation Lab to make rail travel more attractive to travelers. So write several newspapers, including La Capital and Het Laatste Nieuws. Receiving real-time information via your cell phone about replacement […]
April 20, 2023
The Brussels bus, metro, and tram company MIVB/STIB scores 7,3 out of 10 on the company’s satisfaction barometer, the same score as the two previous years and better than any other public transport in Belgium. “A clear recognition from passengers about the investments in public transport,” says CEO Brieuc de Meeùs. The metro remains the […]
April 20, 2023
Employer and employee representatives within the Belgian National Labor Council have agreed on a mandatory bicycle allowance of €0,27/km, with a maximum of 40 kilometers per day. The new regulation will take effect from May 1st, although last year, one in three employers already paid a bicycle allowance. In 2022, 29% of Belgian employers paid […]
April 20, 2023
Dutch railroad company NS carried passengers on a new intercity train between Amsterdam and Rotterdam for the first time Wednesday. The intention is to use that new Intercity New Generation (ICNG) later between Amsterdam and Brussels. NS reported this in a press release. The new trains would allow you to track half an hour faster […]
April 17, 2023
Last year, more than 4 700 serious or fatal accidents ended with a hit-and-run. A record number in ten years. According to the Belgian traffic safety institute Vias, most victims were cyclists (21%) and pedestrians ‘14%). Fortunately, the vast majority of perpetrators were identified. Vias pleads to step up the fight against drunk driving and […]
April 17, 2023
The reconstruction of the Schuman roundabout, located in the heart of Brussels’ European district, should begin by the end of this summer. To that end, a new public inquiry has been launched, and a new permit has also been requested, considering objections made earlier. However, according to Brussels Mobility, this new public inquiry is no […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new tailpipe emission limits that could require as much as 67% of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2023 to be fully electric. “A very ambitious proposal,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan called it. The proposed limits are considered the country’s most aggressive climate regulations, […]
April 13, 2023
A lot of Belgians still have cold feet when it comes to switching to an electric car, especially in the case of private cars. One in three is plainly negative toward EVs, and only one in four is willing to consider buying one in the next five years. Moreover, higher purchase prices and soaring energy […]
April 13, 2023
Amsterdam should become a full-fledged European hub for train travel across Europe by 2025. So says the top woman of the Eurostar Group, Gwendoline Cazenave, in an interview with the Dutch news agency ANP. An additional Eurostar train and a redevelopment of Amsterdam Central Station should contribute. Currently, four trains depart daily from Amsterdam for […]
April 12, 2023
More than 1,6 million passengers in March traveled through Brussels Airport, an increase of 42% compared to March 2022. Furthermore, the share of departing transfer passengers was over 17%, an increase of 84% compared to 2022. Brussels Airport reported this. The increase is partly due to the (extended) semester break in French-speaking schools and the […]
April 12, 2023
Nine years after the closure of the Ford automobile factory, vehicles are being assembled again in Genk (Limburg). In November, Rhenus Automotive will start assembling John Deere agricultural vehicles: tractors, riding mowers, and off-road vehicles. In the coming months, several million will be invested in infrastructure and assembly lines. Precise figures are not mentioned yet, […]
April 11, 2023
Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing division of the European aircraft giant Airbus, has signed a contract to supply 50 H160 helicopters to GDAT, one of China’s largest helicopter leasing and operating companies. The order is estimated to be worth between 750 million and 1 billion dollars. It is the most significant H160 order in the […]
April 11, 2023
The greening of the van fleet is progressing slowly. That is why Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen) wants to make electric vans more tax-efficient. De Sutter pleads for a temporary increase of the tax deductibility from 8 to 40 percent. In other words, a self-employed person or SME buying an environmentally friendly van […]
April 07, 2023
Of the planned 1 966 Hoppin Points in Flanders, barely 65 have been completed today, only three percent of the network, the newspaper Het Belang van Limburg writes. However, the new mobility hubs envisioned by the Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) are crucial in the Basic Accessibility plan. That plan designs a […]
April 06, 2023
Bike 43, the Brussels-based company that makes long-tail bikes, will triple its production in its second year of operation. The aim is to produce 10 000 bikes over the next three years. To do so, it raised 1 million euros from investors. “The funds are exclusively dedicated to working capital for the stock of bicycle […]
April 06, 2023
The Belgian safety institute VIAS has confirmed with an independent study what several others, among which some leading leasing and HR service companies, claimed for more than a year: the electric car is the cheapest option today and in the long term compared to vehicles with a combustion engine (ICE). Except for the smallest city […]
April 05, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), has ambitious plans. In her most recent bicycle policy plan, she expects Flemish citizens to hop on the bike for more than 30% of their daily journeys. To achieve that goal, Peeters is willing to invest at least 300 million euros a year. Peeters’ previous bicycle policy […]
April 04, 2023
D’Ieteren’s Taxis Verts and Colruyt’s Virya Energy started a pilot project in September 2022 with a Toyota Mirai as a hydrogen taxi to see if this type of drivetrain is a suitable option as the taxi sector in Brussels is forced to electrify by 2025. With half of the year-long test program completed, both companies […]
April 04, 2023
Planes at Brussels Airport cause strong annoyance to 220 000 residents. As a result, the cost of health damage would amount to more than 1 billion euros annually. This emerged from a new study by Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), the Flemish federation for a better environment. The study, carried out by study agency ENV-ISA at […]
April 04, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) is fed up with the problems at the technical car inspection centers. That is why she wants to engage certified garages for the re-inspection of passenger cars. Today, these re-inspections take place in the 43 accredited inspection centers. In the summer of 2022, Minister Peeters decided to organize […]
April 03, 2023
As expected, Parisians voted overwhelmingly against using shared e-scooters in their capital: on Sunday, 89,03% were against in the citizens’ poll. However, the low turnout was also striking. Only just over 100 000 people, or 7,46% of Parisians, had registered for the referendum. So from 1 September, shared e-scooters will disappear from the Paris streets […]
April 03, 2023
Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB recorded a recurring operating loss of 142,6 million euros last year. Those debts were due to five consecutive wage indexations during the last year and sharply increased energy costs. Compensations from the federal government cushioned the impact so that NMBS/SNCB ended up with an operational result of 39,6 million euros. So, […]
April 03, 2023
D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, Poppy Mobility, will double its fleet in Antwerp to meet growing demand. By the end of spring, 450 new red cars will be driving around in the city of Antwerp, on top of the 450 shared cars that are already available now. “The expansion of our fleet will allow us to […]
April 01, 2023
The Brussels Parliament’s special Uber Commission concluded hearings on Thursday regarding lobbying contacts between service and ride-hailing company Uber and the Brussels government during the preparation of the reform of the taxi ordinance. The contacts between then-Mobility Minister Pascal Smet (One.Brussels-Vooruit) and Uber lobbyist Mark McGann stood out. Smet denies the allegations. “No incriminating element can […]
March 31, 2023
The cargo bike is gaining popularity, but, as with any mobility vehicle, there are also safety risks associated with these types of bicycles, which often weigh 65 kg unloaded alone and end up loaded almost as much as a motorbike. This means they can be thrown through the air over a long distance in the […]
March 31, 2023
Last month, Belgium rounded the cape of 100 000 EVs on the road, says EV Belgium, the federation of zero-emission vehicles in Belgium. They assume that number will be pushed this year to 200 000 and up to half a million by 2025, driven by the coming obligation that all new company cars beyond 2026 […]
March 30, 2023
The French government has finalized its national regulation plan for e-scooter users. As a result, the age to use an e-scooter goes from 12 to 14 years old, and the fines for e-scooter offenses go up sharply. By doing so, the government hopes to reduce the nuisance of the mode of transport that has become […]
March 29, 2023
Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB’s new transport plan for the 2023-2026 period offers 2 000 extra trains per week. At the same time, certain rush-hour trains and some 20 stops with fewer than 50 passengers per day would also be cut for this purpose. However, according to Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), the latter should […]
March 29, 2023
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has ordered 70 articulated electric buses from EvoBus GmbH, a German bus and coach manufacturer and a subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, headquartered in Stuttgart (Germany). That is what MIVB/STIB announced on Tuesday. Belgian factories of Van Hool and VDL Roeselare missing the bus in this case… The buses will […]
March 28, 2023
Some thirty movable bridges across Flanders must be replaced by 2030 with a public-private partnership (PPP). Prior to the start of the works, the Flemish Waterway will start a market survey to present the approach to the sector. The Flemish Waterway wants to have all its movable structures (bridges, locks, weirs, and pumping installations) remote-controlled […]
March 28, 2023
From Brussels Airport you can fly to nine new destinations this summer. These are Toronto (Canada), Billund (Denmark), Seville (Spain), Kayseri (Turkey), Monastir (Tunisia), and Béjaïa, Constantine, Oran, and Tlemcen (Algeria). From Brussels Airport, 59 airlines will thus depart to 175 destinations in summer. Brussels Airlines, with four additional aircraft in its fleet, will fly […]
March 27, 2023
The French traffic safety organization, Sécurité Routière, has decided to phase out average speed checks. According to some French media, they would be too expensive to maintain, although a motorists’ organization questions that. The oldest installations, which appeared in 2012, would even need replacement. Average speed checks are no typical French phenomenon. They’re frequently used […]
March 27, 2023
German Targobank’s yearly Car Study, a survey conducted by survey institute Forsa, shows that the average German is again increasingly falling back on gasoline cars rather than an electric one when considering buying a new car. The tendency is quite apparent: 30% would prioritize it, compared to 22% the year before. The eagerness to switch […]
March 24, 2023
Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB is launching the ‘Flex Subscription’, a ticket formula for employees who no longer need to be in the office or on the work floor daily. The first flexible subscription is one for ten travel days a month. “We want to use adapted products to make the train even more attractive […]
March 24, 2023
An extensive survey conducted by Europe’s largest leasing company, ALD Automotive, with +1 500 lease car drivers, shows the Dutch EV driver (69%) is slowly getting cured of his ‘range anxiety’, the fear of getting stuck with an empty battery. But ICE drivers persist in their delusion. Most EV drivers (79%) are positive about the […]
March 24, 2023
Belgian bus builder Van Hool has signed a contract with Qbuzz, public transport operator in the Netherlands, for the delivery of 54 battery-electric buses. Earlier, news broke that Qbuzz also ordered 63 e-buses from Ebusco. The buses will be used for regional passenger transport in the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. Qbuzz has decided […]
March 23, 2023
Dutch rail is struggling with a badger plague. The animals often nest near and under railway tracks, which today is the case at forty locations, particularly in the eastern part of the country. After acute difficulties in Friesland, the animals are now causing problems between Eindhoven and Den Bosch. Rail manager ProRail fears that the […]
March 21, 2023
If it were up to Audi, we would all have a flowerpot in our car. That is why the premium car brand introduces the ‘car plant’, an absolute first for the renewed Audi Q8 e-tron. With this innovation, Audi responds to the needs of almost one in four car owners (24%) who would like to […]
March 21, 2023
The Walloon parliament’s commission has approved the majority’s proposal for a substantial reduction in the road tax on motorhomes and campers. Taxes had risen sharply following the entry into force of the Walloon decree for a ‘fair tax’. The approved proposal by the PS-MR-Ecolo majority envisages setting the motorhome road tax at 40% of the […]
March 21, 2023
The sector federation on inspection centers GOCA Flanders counted 22 914 inspections ‘on location’ last year. These were inspection lines for trucks and buses on the site of large companies, where inspectors go to the customer instead of the other way around. The project to have larger vehicle fleets inspected on-site quickly and efficiently was […]
March 20, 2023
How could urban mobility in Brussels evolve by 2050? That is the million-dollar question of Remobilise, a research project of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The researchers drew four possible future scenarios and are now considering policy recommendations in workshops to tackle everyday mobility challenges. “The future does not always develop as we expect. The […]
March 20, 2023
Mobility is a basic right, but for (partially) blind people, the road is, unfortunately – literally – littered with obstacles. That is why the Braille League wants to raise awareness about mobility among blind and visually impaired people. The organization, therefore, has organized a large-scale survey among about 700 respondents and is repeating its sensitizing […]
March 17, 2023
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn continues to face a shortage of drivers. For example, of the 356 drivers De Lijn recruited in 2021, almost a quarter had already left before the end of 2022. So for this year, De Lijn has to look for 900 new drivers all over Flanders. In general, you can […]
March 16, 2023
Eight out of ten young people in Flanders are in favor of zero tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel. Almost 17% do not support such a proposal. That is what a survey by mobility organization VAB revealed. Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed a total alcohol ban for new drivers. Novice drivers should not […]
March 16, 2023
Between 2019 and today, the Flemish government added 234 average speed checks on 136 locations. This year, another 194 controls are planned on 109 locations. According to Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), they’re a “concrete and effective measure to reduce the number of accidents”. Excessive speed is one of the biggest killers in […]
March 16, 2023
Eighteen-years-old who would like to spend a summer traveling through more than 30 European countries with a free rail pass can bid for one of the 35 000 tickets on offer from the European Commission until 29 March. Indeed, since 2018, the European Commission has been launching its spring call for free train travel across […]
