November 17, 2017
The new ‘cash for car’ regulation that the Belgian government has developed as an alternative to so called ‘salary cars’ is not yet in place. The Council of State has serious reservations about the proposal. In the proposal now on the table, workers can trade in their company car for more net pay (‘cash for […]
November 17, 2017
Unlike in the rest of Europe, the train is loosing ground in France compared to other modes of transport. In 2016, it only represented 9,2% of all trips in France resulting from a decreasing number of passengers since 2011. 79% of all movements are done by car, sharing included. According to data from the French […]
November 15, 2017
Traffic experts see only one solution for the problem of the ever worsening air quality in Flanders: the speed limits must be reduced. Minister of Transport Ben Weyts (N-VA) is not convinced. “These results are worrying,” says bio-engineer Roeland Samson (University of Antwerp) about the air pollution in East Flanders and by extension throughout Flanders. […]
November 15, 2017
According to figures given by Jan Jambon (N-VA), Minister of the Interior, in 2016, a total of 108.500 fines were issued for using smartphones at the steering wheel, which means 300 infringements a day. MP Jef Van Den Bergh (CD&V) asked for these figures. Also cyclists are involved Of the total number of fines issued, more […]
November 15, 2017
French car maker PSA Group and Chinese telecom manufacturer Huawei announced a new partnership to develop a platform dedicated to connected vehicles. Named CVMP (Connected Vehicle Modular Platform), this new platform has been created by the French car manufacturer group PSA and Chinese telecom manufacturer Huawei. “It will allow to deploy new services such as […]
November 15, 2017
In two years, the number of accidents in 30-zones has increased by 21%. Admittedly the number of zones has increase too, but the major part of drivers is still driving too fast. The Walloon government is working on installing “intelligent 30-zone” active only during school periods. 283 is the number of accidents recorded in 30-zones […]
November 15, 2017
The resurrected air carrier VLM Airlines had to wait a year for it, but now it has its Belgian flight licence. It concerns the licence for the two A320 aircraft that it took over from Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium. The company plans to fly to China too. VLM, mainly known for the business flights between […]
November 14, 2017
Brussels Environment Minister Céline Fremault (cdH) announces the installation of 300 charging points in the capital just as the COP23 is taking place. She also claims that reducing transport emissions in Brussels goes through with either a toll system or the kilometre tax. For the 23rd UN Climate Conference (COP23) taking place in Bonn Germany, […]
November 13, 2017
Havenbedrijf Antwerpen (Antwerp Port Company) wants to expand the offer of the water bus to the Waaslandhaven next year, in cooperation with water bus company Aqualine. This was confirmed on Saturday by Marc Van Peel, alderman for port matters (CD&V), during the inauguration of the second water bus between Antwerp and Hemiksem. “We hope to […]
November 13, 2017
According to a drastic road safety plan 30 kilometer per hour should be the speed limit in the entire Brussels’ region. The only exception should be the larger through roads. The plan by Brussels Minister for Road Safety Bianca Debaets (CD&V) and Minister for Mobility Pascal Smet (PS), joins the similar proposal by parliament member Bruno […]
November 13, 2017
Walloon Mobility and Transport Minister Carlo Di Antonio (cdH) just validated a new subvention program worth nearly 5,5 million euro to promote the use of the bicycle and enhance security for cyclists and pedestrians. This amount will be distributed between 62 cities and municipalities. The program is part of the mobility plan 2030 ‘FAST’ of […]
November 13, 2017
Young people aged 25 to 30 are increasingly choosing for car use instead of public transport. It is one of the remarkable results of a survey with 1.150 people, conducted by Flemish mobility organization VAB. So there is no such thing as a change of mentality of the ‘Generation Now’ towards mobility. In the 18 […]
November 10, 2017
According to Brussels Défi MP Marc Loewenstein, the new low emission zone (LEZ) could give the opportunity to put up an entering toll of 3 euro per day in Brussels. This congestion charge could lead up to a traffic decrease of 11%. “Let’s just stop hesitating and let’s take opportunities”, says Marc Loewenstein. Loewenstein, who […]
November 10, 2017
At Lampiris, all workers will have to drive electric by 2021. The Liège based energy supplier wants to become an electric pioneer in the world of company fleets. “We are the first in Belgium to completely switch to electric cars, but at the same time it is becoming a testcase’, says Gaëtan Mondet, general manager […]
November 09, 2017
Flemish public transport company De Lijn sees it ambitiuos: they want to take 10.000 cars off the roads every day in the northern edge of Brussels. Therefore De Lijn have ordered fourteen trambuses from bus builder Van Hool from Koningshooikt (Lier). Alternative to tram The trambuses are of the Exqui.City 24 Hyb type. They can […]
November 09, 2017
Towards 2030 CO2-emissions of cars and vans in the EU have to be reduced by 30 %. The actual legislation says 95 g/km for cars and 147 g/km for vans by 2021. The European commission wants an enforced CO2-reduction of 15 % towards 2025 and 30 % towards 2030. A measure that is approved, neither […]
November 09, 2017
During the Lisbon Web Summit, Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden confirmed a partnership with NASA for its future air taxis. Part of the Uber Elevate program, the company wants to revolutionize the urban air transport with small electric air taxis by 2023. Flying taxis With Uber Elevate, the amercian company aims at a friendly […]
November 09, 2017
The Belgian Vias Institute for road safety unveiled some details of its important study on persistent road offenders. The institute analyzed cases in the Leuven and Malines Courts and determined a typical profile: a 39 year old male blue-collar worker with lower income, single and without children. Vias has studied numerous repeat road offender cases […]
November 08, 2017
Waymo, a subsidiary company of Alphabet (the mother company of Google), is going to drive his autonomous cars on Phoenix roads without a human driver to intervene. This was announced by the company’s CEO on Tuesday. It is the next step in autonomous driving vehicles. Waymo is planning to start a taxi service in Phoenix […]
November 08, 2017
Electric cars tend to stand two thirds of the parking time at a public charger without actually charging batteries. This learns a spot-check by NewMotion, the Dutch charging station network company that was taken over by Shell last month. A fee of 0,22 euro per hour seems to be a solution. Juice-point sticking The average […]
November 07, 2017
Driving on domestic heating fuel commonly known as ‘red diesel’ is forbidden in Belgium and can cost a € 500 fine. Infractions have increased by 78% compared to last year with 812 drivers convicted and fined in the first 8 months of 2017. From January 1st to August 31st, 812 drivers were controlled and fined […]
November 07, 2017
Uber Belgium has listened to the different demands from its drivers and the company will now offer more flexibility, reduce the passenger free cancel period to 2 minutes and charge the passenger 25 cent/min when the driver has to wait more than 2 minutes. Job’s attracticeness Before, we put our priority on growth and perhaps […]
November 07, 2017
One year ago, 31-year-old Perrine Collin launched Cycad, a young company building electric bikes out of bamboo. They now offer these ecological bicycles for long term rent at a degressive rate. “I met Narciso while I was working for an NGO in the Philippines”, explains Perrinne, “He was building bicycles out of bamboo and I […]
November 06, 2017
Since September 2017, numerous shared bicycles from different renting companies such as GoBee Bike, OBike or Billy Bike are appearing all around Brussels., totaling around 850 today. These “free-floating” bicycles can be picked-up and dropped-off wherever the user desires it, without the need of a station. In Brussels, the concept of the shared bike is […]
November 06, 2017
Construction works on the Groenendael ecoduct are nearing completion with cars driving under it and animals from the Sonian Forest already able to cross the Ring without danger. Grading and leveling works of the different adjacent sites should be finished in December and specific plantation is due beginning 2018. The ecoduct’s layout takes into account […]
November 06, 2017
The Belgian bicycle sector has developed a digital system called Velo-Pass, which must help in the fight against theft. Traxio is aiming for a launch in early 2018. In Belgium, almost 100 bikes are stolen every day. To counter it, umbrella organization Traxio, which also represents the bicycle sector, developed the digital bicycle passport Velo-Pass. […]
November 06, 2017
“The Netherlands should have the first test section of the hyperloop in Europe, a vacuum tube through which passengers can travel at speeds up to 1.200 kph. That’s why the government should make a one-off investment.” This is the message sent today to The Hague by companies and the semi-public sector. Cost for the construction […]
November 03, 2017
Belgium’s most famous viaduct will get a crucial makeover with four lanes in each direction in the context of the redesign of the Ring around Brussels. Local and through traffic will be split and the viaduct will become a so-called ‘selection zone’ of almost 2 kilometres long. The first works are scheduled for 2019. The […]
November 03, 2017
Dutch bicycle maker VanMoof developed a tracking system for stolen bikes and sends out its own ‘bike hunters’ to retrieve them. A service that is proposed at an annual fee of 100 euro. In Belgium every quarter of an hour a bicycle is stolen. Police is powerless with a result that only 4 % of […]
November 02, 2017
Created in 2013, the Waterbus connecting Vilvoorde to Brussels on the canal, has transported 42.000 passengers this season. It’s 10.000 more than last year. Born from an initiative from the Brussels’ association “Brussels by Water” and the Brabant association “Kanaaltochten Brabant”, the Waterbus service was active for the first time this year all days of […]
November 02, 2017
“Electric car sales are progressing all around the world, but only evolve in EU countries with a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of more than 30.000 per inhabitant, the more wealthy countries”, European Automobile Manufacturers Association ACEA explains. Since the beginning of this year, electric car sales are taking off. This market growth is pulled upwards […]
October 31, 2017
The Commission on Infrastructure of the Brussels’ parliament has agreed in the forming of a work group that has to study the implementation of dynamic road signs and speed limits on the main entry axes and the Ring. These dynamic road signs will adapt the speed limits to the traffic and weather conditions. The implementation […]
October 31, 2017
On Monday, the renewed VLM flight connection between Antwerp Airport and London City was officially ‘inaugurated’. VLM Airlines will fly the route again after nine years, this time with a Slovenian licence. The company is also working on connections between Brussels and China. Since September, there were no longer flights between Antwerp and London City […]
October 31, 2017
The Belgian Walloon regional government has agreed last week on an ambitious plan to reduce car usage from 83 to 60% by 2030. Its Transport, Mobility and Road Safety Minister Carlo di Antonio (cdH) wants 4 out of 5 car trips in the future to be with at least two passengers and boost public transport […]
October 30, 2017
According to information gathered by the Belgian newspaper “La Libre”, 110 pilots have quit Ryanair last week. Since 20.000 flights were cancelled due to the shortage of pilots available, Ryanair experiences a resignation rate of 23 per week. Ryanair had to cancel 20.000 flights until next March due to employee’s vacation scheduling problems. Since then, […]
October 30, 2017
The Executive Board approved the new 2018-2022 investments plan for Belgian railways SNCB/NMBS. It foresees 3,2 billion euro for commuter transport, train stations and equipment management and maintenance. On Friday, the SNCB/NMBS executive board approved the new power delegation and sub-delegation allowing the CEO Sophie Dutordoir to appoint her own general managers and department heads. […]
October 30, 2017
According to American real estate experts Justin Thompson and Garth Bostic the autonomous car can tempt people in the future to flee the city and move back to the green countryside, while traffic jams around the city will still remain and parking spaces in the city will become obsolete. The Los Angeles based experts asked […]
October 27, 2017
Two Brussels police zones will be given bait-bikes equipped with GPS trackers and use them to catch bicycle thieves. The justice deems the method to be legal. “Lately, the Dutch Tilburg University published a study reveiling that the number of bicycle thefts in the municipalities using bait-bikes had decreased by 40% in one year”, explains […]
October 27, 2017
After the indignation about the bicycle crashes in Antwerp, the political parties are now focusing on road safety. The collective ‘Samen’, joining political parties sp.a and Groen, wants to introduce a drastic new traffic plan like Ghent did. The left-wing collective asked professor Dirk Lauwers (UA, UGent), an authority in the field of road safety, […]
October 26, 2017
Wednesday, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) presented its first self-driving minibus. This “intelligent” urban shuttle’s maiden voyage happen in the spa resort of Bad Birnbach in Bavaria. The new autonomous shuttle Deutsche Bahn introduces, is capable of transporting up to 12 passengers. This electric minibus has been developed by the French start-up EasyMile. […]
October 25, 2017
A Walloon TEC bus transports on average 11 passengers and thus emits as much CO2 and NOx as eleven cars. Occupation in TEC buses is too low due in part to the loss of confidence in the availability of the public transport service, according to Walloon deputy Jean-Paul Wahl (MR). “According to the region minister’s […]
October 25, 2017
Simultaneously green light for all cyclists and pedestrians at crossroads could prevent accidents. But that road code is still not valid. According to Member of Parliament Jef Van den Bergh (CD&V) it could be applied sooner. Federal Minister for Mobility François Bellot (MR) is working on an adaptation of that traffic regulations. The proposal includes […]
October 25, 2017
The rich city-state of Singapore won’t allow any extra cars on its already congested road network, not a single one. Only replacement cars will be allowed and the government promises to invest billions in public transport. From February 2018 on, the city state won’t allow its motorized vehicle fleet to grow anymore, including motorcycles. The […]
October 25, 2017
Uber has created a fake city near Pittsburgh (US) on an old industrial lot to test autonomous cars in “real world conditions”. It is also used to train the future security drivers that will be present in Uber’s autonomous cars in case something goes wrong. On an old industrial lot of 17 acres, Uber has […]
October 25, 2017
Without unexpected obstacles, one of Europe’s biggest road construction sites, the Antwerp Oosterweel connection, will start in spring 2018 on the left bank of the river Scheldt (Linkeroever) and Zwijndrecht. A job that will take four and a half years and will cost 386 million euro. The Antwerp Ring will be open for traffic all […]
October 24, 2017
In a document sent to all Ryanair pilots, the European Employee Representative Council explains that they “have to consider the possibility to go on strike to ensure being heard on the negotiation table”. Ryanair pilots want to push the company’s management to offer the same benefits as other airlines. Last week, Madrid and London-Stansted Ryanair […]
October 24, 2017
London mayor Sadiq Khan starts his fight against growing air pollution by making every pre-2006 car driving in the city pay a 10 pound (11,21 euro) ‘Toxicity-charge’, officially called ‘Emissions Surcharge’ in addition to the already existing congestion charge. In the near future, every new bus and taxi will have to be hybrid or electric […]
October 24, 2017
The Flemish government agreed on lowering the threshold for refunding road taxes to transport companies that (partly) use waterways or railway instead of sending trucks on the road. The required minimum of 220 transshipment moves (from truck to boat) is lowered to 100. “After an adjustment of the rules, that were so severe hardly any […]
October 24, 2017
The first of 14 new trams of the Albatros-type is delivered in Antwerp. They will offer an extended capacity of 1.600 passengers. If everything goes as planned, nine more will be operational before the end of the year, while the last four are expected at the beginning of 2018. The Albatros-tram is 60 meter long, […]
October 23, 2017
Commercial free floating bike-sharing is on its way. Thirteen Flemish cities are approached by companies that intend to install those bicycles. To prevent the situation to derail like in Holland, measures have to be taken before they arrive, Ghent alderman Filip Watteuw (Groen) thinks. Unlike city-bikes such as Velo in Antwerp or Villo in Brussels, […]
October 23, 2017
Federal Justice Minister Koen Geens (CD&V) and Mobility Minister François Bellot (MR) proposed a new law aiming at reducing the number of vehicles driving without insurance. Penalties go from a three months driving ban to nine months imprisonment. In 2016, 29.233 drivers were caught circulating on the roads without any insurance for their vehicles. This […]
October 23, 2017
A mere 600 employees of chemical company BASF, which is based in the Port of Antwerp have exchanged their car for a bike. The change is possible thanks to the Commuting Fund of the Flemish government. BASF receives 195,000 euros and invests the money in bicycle infrastructure. “We offer our staff lease bicycles,” explains BASF […]
October 23, 2017
On Saturday, 40 drawn lots of Brussels citizen were invited in the city’s parliament to give their opinion on the capital’s mobility. The government’s objective is to include inhabitant’s recommendations in the future regional mobility plan. On the 8.000 letters sent to Brussels’ inhabitants to ask them if they would like to take part in […]
October 23, 2017
After numerous discussions with Paris city authorities, SeaBubbles won’t introduce it’s autonomous electric hovering boat taxis on the Seine but on the Geneva Lake instead. SeaBubbles is a new type of electric hydrofoil boats created by two French boaters that could revolutionize public transport. In only eighteen months, ex hydrofoil skipper Alain Thébault and windsurfing […]
